bicause all things are written for our instruction we must applie the example of Abraham not onely to this present cause but also to our selues and there shall no little profite ensue vnto vs if we well consyder the calling of God and the fayth or obedience of Abraham In the calling of God whereby Abraham came out of Vr in Chaldaea into the land of Chanaan are two things principally to be considered The first is that he was called without any merite or desert of his before going For Iehosuah in his .xxiiij. Chapter testifieth that he dwelt among Idolaters and worshipped straunge Gods. Yea Epiphanius by report of auncient writers sayth that Thares Abrahams father was the first that made ymages of claye and that therfore he was punished of God with the death of Haran his sonne who was the first among the auncient fathers that of naturall death died before his father Neyther coulde he be commended bicause he was circumcised or was in the time of the Temple whereof the one was built many yeares after the other was a signe of the couenaunt made with him whereas the righteousnesse of fayth which he had alreadye attayned was sealed and confirmed The seconde is howe all this calling dependeth vpon the bare worde of god For he is commaunded to forsake his countrie and kindred and seeth nothing that might cause him to looke or hope for any better state or coÌ„dicion For God promised him neither trustier friendes nor fruitfuller countrie but speaking directly sayth Come into the lande which I shall shewe thee These things are worthy to be diligently obserued For first they teach vs that we are called to saluation and to the heauenly countrie whereof the lande of Chanaan was sometime a figure through the meere grace of God without respect of any our workes or deserts in this matter For what had we deserued seeing we were chosen in Christ before the world was made Or what can they bragge of that haue nothing but that they haue receyued And surely if we consider the disposition of our nature it shall appeare that we are no more mindefull of the heauenly Countrie before we be called and drawen than Abraham was of the land of Chanaan whose name he had not heard of yea when the Lord calleth vs we prooue the vntowarde nature of the fleshe stryueth agaynst Gods calling which we can neuer be able to ouercome except we be holpen by the effectuous drawing of the holye spirite Furthermore we are taught that our vocation which offereth vs saluation dependeth vpon the onely worde of God and therefore can not be taken holde of by fleshlye sense or mannes reason but by fayth onely which also is the gift of God For the naturall man perceyueth not the things belonging to the spirit of God. And God hath prepared such things for them that loue him as neyther eye hath seene nor eare hearde nor yet hath entred into the heart of man And here the power of fayth marueylously declareth it selfe which only taketh holde of the promises of God and most surely embraceth those things that farre exceede all sense and capacitie of mannes reason Therfore Paule calleth it a sure confidence of things which are hoped for and a certeyntie of things which are not seene These things ought well to be considered of them who thinke the doctrine of the iustification of fayth so light a matter as though it appoynted to easie a waye vnto saluation and so mainteyned the securitie and licentiousnesse of the fleshe For how can that be iudged a light and easie matter that surmounteth and passeth all the powers of man Or shal we account it a matter of greater weyght before God that men doe of their owne power than that that cannot be done without the power of the holy ghost Let vs compare fayth with all the workes of all the Monkes that euer were and yet shall we finde more yea and perfiter workes among the Philosophers of the Gentyles but fayth shall we be able to shewe in none but in him that is borne agayne of the word of God through the holy spirite Therefore our saluation and iustification is iustly ascribed to the greatest and exellentest thing that any man liuing can haue vpon the earth Nowe the beliefe and obedience of Abraham following the calling of God is very woonderfull There were diuers thinges which myght haue lette and hindred hi m. For to let passe all other great is the force of our natiue soyle and countrie and draweth men as the Poet sayth with a great desire and lyking and still maketh them mindefull thereof And it is no small authoritie that kinsefolke and allyaunce be of whome we then most vehemently loue when we be ready to forgo them The age also and infirmitie of his father myght haue stayed him whereof he dyed before he came to the borders of the Countrie promised And it is also likely that Abraham was in great honor in his countrie such as he coulde not easily hope for in a forreyne lande among straungers But none of all these things coulde withholde that godly brest but that without delaye he woulde followe the vocation of God wythout any curious enquirie of the condicion and state of the Countrie This is that obedience of fayth so oftentimes commended of Paule and which he sayth is the ende of the lawe This doth Christ require of vs where he commaundeth vs to forsake father mother sister brother wife children and our selues if we will be his Disciples And the accomplishment hereof is so difficult a thing that it is vndoubtedly impossible for vs to performe it except we be regenerate and borne againe of the holy spirite as Christ teacheth disputing with Nichodemus Therefore let them that desire to be called Christians examine themselues after this rule least whyle they rashly bragge thereof they become lyke foolishe buylders who go about to set vp some great building before they haue cast the charges thereof Let this consideration awake vs incessantly to make our feruent prayers for the increase of fayth that after the losse of all these worldlye goodes we maye come to the inheritaunce of the heauenly Countrie with Iesus Christ our sauiour to whome be prayse honor power and glorye for euer Amen The .xliiij. Homelie AND he gaue him none inheritaunce therin no not so much as one foote and promised that he woulde giue it him to possesse and to his â—eede after whereas yet he had no sonne God sayde on this wyfe thy seede shall be a soiourner in a straunge land and they shall make them bonde and intreate them euill fower hundred yeares And the Nation whome they shall serue I will iudge sayth the Lorde And after that they shall come forth and serue me in this place BIcause Steuen was accused as a publike enimie of Gods glory and all religion by reason of his doctrine of abrogation of the lawe and ceremonies
nor hath any faith Therefore this Iayler doth well to declare his faith by workes of charitie which it becommeth vs also busily to apply if we will not be taken and called vaine professours of the faith Fourthly he reioyceth with all his housholde bicause he beleeued in God and knewe he nowe belonged vnto the Church of Christ in whome onely the treasures of saluation are layde vp And yet as we erewhyle declared he was in great daunger thereby For if the Iudges mindes had notbene sodainely altered which alteration he yet wist not of he had dyed for it insomuch as he had let those loose whome the Iudge had commaunded to be laide in yrons But as faith maketh all men obedient vnto God so it ouercommeth all labours and daungers and suffereth not the feeling of heauenly ioye which the spirite of Christ inspyreth to be ouercome with any temptations Therefore Paule wryting to these faythfull of the Phylippians byddeth them alwaies to reioyce and be glad Moreouer if a man would lay togither all things saide hitherto of this Iayler it shall appeare that fayth is not ydle nor can not be seperated from good workes For what good workes are here lacking He recompenseth the iniuries made before vnto the Apostles He obeyeth God duely with present daunger of his lyfe declaring hereby howe readie he ment afterwarde to be in all other thinges Hee receyued the sacramentes duelie as he ought to doe For where he receyued baptisme streight way it is not like he absteyned from the Lordes supper seing he was conuersaunt with the faithfull Furthermore he was carefull for the saluation of his familie and caused them also to be brought vnto Christ and vnto the congregation also he exerciseth charitie and benefycence liberally and euen in the middle of daungers ioyeth altogither in spirituall gladnesse And yet the Apostles being asked the true waye of saluation appointed him but faith onely in Iesus Christ. And this faith brought forth streight way such excellent fruites as we haue heard Wherevnto yet we must not attribute the glorie of saluation bicause he coulde haue done none of them vnlesse by faith he had beene graffed in Christ and quickned with his spirite Here fyrst are they confuted that saye the doctrine of faith is an enimie vnto good workes seing such increase of good workes springeth of none other thing so much as of faith And next they also which vnder a false pretence of the Gospell seeke the vnbrydelled licentiousnesse of the fleshe and to sinne without check Howbeit after the hystory of the keeper of the Prison ended Luke commeth vnto the officers of Philippi and declareth howe the Apostles were delyuered by their commaundement and authoritie For Gods workes are perfyte and beguyle not mens mindes with vaine hope and expectation of his helpe and succour In the meane season yet God marueylously tosseth the Apostles that one maye see he vseth the wicked to fulfyll his pleasure euen against their wyll But let vs discusse all things in order that we may receyue the more comfort and instruction thereby By the breake of daye came Sergeaunts from the Magistrates commaunding the Apostles to be let loose and it shall appeare afterward by Paules words that this was a secret dimission they went about meaning also to sende them out of the Citie But howsoeuer they were dimissed it is plaine that these Iudges did acknowledge both the innocencie of the Apostles and also their owne vnrighteousnesse which they vsed against them But whether it was the meane whyle of the night that caused them to consider so much or the earthquake that strake them in such feare that they durst not holde on in their tyrannie it is vncertaine But assuredly such sodaine chaunge of minde did aboundantly declare both their rashnesse and vnrighteousnesse Yet go they about marueylous craftily to hyde the heynousnesse they had commytted and whereof they were ashamed For therefore woulde they haue the Apostles priuily to be set at libertie to lay all the fault in them as though they mistrusting their cause had broke open the dores and fledde out of Prison Thus the wicked vse with craftes and colours to seeke to seeme righteous being ashamed of their naughtinesse but meaning no earnest repentaunce which causeth them to their further shame to heape freshe offences and sinnes vpon the olde Therefore this place teacheth vs fyrst what the repentaunce of the wicked is for the most part Doubtlesse a counterfeyte repentaunce and such as reuerence and feare of men onely wringeth out of them not repenting in the meane season from the heart nor nothing mindefull of amendement Thus we reade Saule repented when he earnestly required Samuel not to depart from him least his authoritie and estimation should vtterly haue quayled before the Elders and the people That this is a vaine and vnprofytable repentaunce appeareth euen by this for that in the meane season they hate the worde of God woorse than a Tode bicause the light thereof discloseth their wickednesse Let euery man therefore so learne to acknowledge his offences that he may also be sorrowfull for the same and not seeke to hyde them wyth the shaming of other but rather let them publishe them to the amendment of other and to the setting forth of Gods glorie whereof the scripture giueth vs examples in Dauid and Paule Also this place teacheth vs how easilye wicked officers can quit themselues of great heynous offences For what could this men haue done more wickedly and vnworthy their calling than to beate innocent persons without hearing their cause at the â—ry and clamour of the commons and being all gore bloude and their sores not washed to cast them into a darke dungeon And nowe they thinke it is ynnough if they put them not to death with more shame but conuey them priuily out of the Citie And here is no worde of amends making This is a common thing in these dayes especially in their causes whome the world hateth bicause of their sinceritie in truth and religion yea they thinke they deserue great commendation of modestie and equitie if they doe but depriue such Christians of honours and goodes and banishe them their countrie But let officers consider that they are placed of God in such degree of power and honour Let them also remember that iudgement belongeth vnto god Furthermore let them often remember that they shall one day also come before Christ to be iudged where they shall giue an accompt of all their iudgementes And therefore according to the admonition of the Prophete let them holde the bloud of their subiectes deare in their sight Furthermore here appeareth the inuincible power of God whereby he is able to take and deliuer his beloued out of the handes of the wicked although they persist in their wickeddesse For they repent not of their naughtinesse and thinke of no amendment as we sayde euen nowe yea they vndoubtedly wished the Apostles of
translated diuers other treatises also out of Gréeke into Latine as Didimus worke touching the deitie of the holy ghost Epiphanius bishop of Cyprus Epistle to Iohn the Patriarch of Ierusalem and diuers other such And bicause none shall saye what maketh this for the translating of the Bible into other more vulgar tongues as into the Englishe c. For they can well admit the Hebrewe Gréeke and Latine tongues and any other that the people vnderstande not therefore S. Hierome translated the Bible into the Sclauonian tongue that is to say into his owne natiue countrie tongue We haue therefore antiquitie ynough on our side for proofe of our diuers translations Neyther did he euer feare or make account of such inconueniences as these new Diuines pretende spring of such translations or any thing regarded the sharpe censure and checks of diuers Comptrollers that founde fault with his doings but helde on and continued to the ende translating wryting and endyting sending his bookes onewhile to virgins one other whyle to married women sometime to widowes but euer to one kinde of person or other being still exercised and occupied in such doinges And I marueyle why these men should be so offended that euery Nation shoulde haue the scriptures in their owne tongue séeing in some places of their writings they make the holy ghost the author of this opinion and iudgement Doth not Aeneas Syluius which was afterwarde Pope and called Pius secundus tell vs that when about the yeare of our Lord .900 there fell a great contention at Rome whether the Hungarians shoulde haue their seruice in their owne tongue yea or no that there was a voyce hearde from heauen saying Let euery thing that hath breath prayse the Lord and euery tongue giue thankes vnto his holy name Whervpon sayth this Aeneas the Councell brake vp and the contention surceased So that by this storye whosoeuer denyeth Gods people Gods seruice in their owne proper tongue resist Gods ordinance and commaundement These men count it a great absurditie that a woman a childe or an artificer shoulde talke of the Gospell or of the Scripture And yet many times we may heare women children and artificers vnderstande more of Gods holy mysteries than a number of some ruddy Rabbines that notwithstanding looke very high and lofty Moses was not of this minde and opinion For when Iehosuah his seruant would haue had him to forbid Heldad and Medad from prophecying he aunswered woulde God that all the Lordes people coulde prophecie and that he woulde giue his spirite vnto them all Christ commaundeth little children to be suffred to come vnto him and not to be forbidden But who maye not more iustly thinke it a greater absurditie to heare women children and artificers patter their Pater noster in a tongue that they so little vnderstande that Cardinall Ascanius Parot at Rome was as wise as they Yea the Crowe that saluted Augustus coulde saye his Aue Caesar better than they coulde their Aue Maria. And surely if the newe Diuines godly intention may not in this case helpe at a pinch they may also saye and say truly as an other Crowe did at another time we haue lost all our labour So little doth God allowe such godly intention For he biddeth we shoulde not be like Horse and Mule in whome there is none vnderstanding Then séeing we haue the Scriptures aswell of the olde Testament as the newe so full and whole on our side séeing Christ commaundeth vs to search the Scriptures séeing S. Paule sayth they are written for our learning and instruction séeing we haue thexample of the Primitiue Church permitting all men to haue and reade the Scriptures in all tongues séeing we haue so many translations of the Scriptures I meane of olde tyme I speake not of those in the Englishe tongue in Ethelstanes dayes and in the Saxons tongue ne yet of that gift of tongues giuen to the Apostles to the intent that all Nations might heare the great workes of God in their owne language séeing there is nothing in the Scriptures eyther threatened or promised but it appertayneth to all men in all ages nothing done by Christ of olde but the same in one respect or other is dailye done For Christ is newly borne among vs euen at this day There are Herodes that goe about to murther him in his Cradle euen at this day He notwithstanding groweth in fauour with God and men euen at this day He healeth all maner of maladies Leprouse Demoniacks Dumbe Blinde Deafe Dropsies Palsies bloudy Fluxes at this day so that we say sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon vs and Lord if thou wilt thou canst make vs whole Yea he rayseth men from death to life againe by the power of his worde euen at this daye He teacheth threatneth promiseth comforteth euen at this day There are Iewes which will not suffer their vayled Moses to yéelde to his brightnesse in these dayes He hath Scribes Phariseys and Sadduceyes that lye in wayte to catch and entangle him in his talke euen nowe a dayes also He hath more than one Annas and Caiphas to buye and more than one Iscarioth to sell him at this daye Herode Pylate and their Crewes want not to mocke whip and crucifie him yea to kéepe him downe also in his graue that he rise not againe euen at this day And yet all this notwithstanding he hath still also at this day his little flocke that doth and will depende vpon him saying Lorde to whome shall we go Thou hast the wordes of eternall life Therefore whatsoeuer the newe Diuines say to the contrary let vs still reade the Scriptures and sticke to that olde Diuinitie But bicause many men are ledde not so much eyther with reason or testimonies of Scriptures as with authoritie of Doctors to fulfill my promise and somedeale to satisfye if happily it may be their preposterous zeale and peruerse iudgement I will shewe also that the best and soundest of the olde Doctors haue alwayes bene of this opinion that all people at all times ought to haue the scriptures in their owne tongue And if any man as delighting in a worke of supererrogation that is to say for a man to doe more than he hath bounde himselfe to or néedeth shall require so much I will also by the olde Doctors aunswere the obiections of such as thinke the scriptures ought not to bee read of all men bicause of the difficultie of them and that varietie of translations cause and bréede errors And first we will begin with the Doctors of the Latine Church not for worthynesse eyther of life or learning that hath bene at anye time in them more than in the Gréekes For verily the Gréekes are able to shew as many worthy writers of their Church as the Latines can by any meanes if I say not more but bicause perhaps some Romanist or Latine man may hit vpon this writing which if he be partially affected toward the Latine Doctors
priest But when God afterward vnder the law would haue these offices seuered yet ordeyned he a great coniunction and amitie betweene the kinges and priestes least eyther the kings shoulde reigne without religion or the Priestes by them not cared for and regarded might at the pleasure of wicked men bee misused Wherevnto also maye be referred howe God when he first gaue his lawe vnto the Iewes chose Moses and Aaron which were brothers germaine committed to the one the charge of the Tabernacle and Gods whole seruice and to the other the ordering of the common weale therby teaching vs that then both Churches and common weales are in most safetye when brotherly concord and agreement is betweene both these administrations This thing all those iudges and kinges well perceyued which are commended in the Scriptures for their well gouerning the common wealth Such as we reade chiefly Gedeon Samuel Dauid Iosaphat Ezechias and Iosias were with whome if a man would compare the residue that the holy ghost hath noted as naught he shall find this to bee the cause as well of priuate as publike calamitie that they haue thought the worde of GOD and care of religion hath eyther nothing belonged vnto them or else that they might dallye and playe with the same at their pleasure And if we will reade the Hystoryes of the Gentyles it shall appeare they were woonderfullye deceyued in the knowledge of the true GOD and that therefore they polluted the seruice of God with horrible errours And yet they firmelye helde this as a generall rule and principle that common weales coulde not be happely gouerned without the true worshippe of God and knowledge of his will which was the cause that they greatly reuerenced the Philosophers as professours of rare and singuler wisedome and in doubtfull affayres asked counsell at the Gods and in erecting of Temples Altars and Images to them spared no kinde of lauishe and cost Uerilye the people of Athens whose Citie was compted as a publike vniuersâ—tie and schoole of wisedome so thought the care of religion belonged vnto them that amonge the articles of publike othe ministred to their Citizens this was the chiefe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say for the Temples and seruice of the Coddes I will fight both alone and in company These menne thought that whosoeuer were desirous eyther of publike peace or priuate thryft ought to haue a speciall regarde of Gods honor Let no man therefore accuse me of temeritie if I saye that such are destitute of common sense and blinder than the prophane Gentyles which crie out the care of the Churche and religion belongeth not to temporall Magistrates and rulers And I thinke I shall not do much amisse if I say that such are to be auoided as the publike and open enimies of mankind For take away religion from man and what shal remaine wherin he shall differ from the brute beasts â–ª we see in them like motions of affections as are in wild beasts And if they were not bridled with the feeling of religion they woulde burst out at euerye occasion and the more they are armed with authoritie and with the sword the more harme they woulde doe Therfore that we offende not through the bolde and preposterous wisedome of the flesh it shall be verie profitable to haue a true paterne and forme of a Church for men to follow in their Councels that desire eyther to mainteyne the Church or else to reforme it being fallen in decay This paterne the holy scriptures in euerie place set out vnto vs and while the lawe endured it did set forth vnto vs all the partes thereof vnder the figure of the Tabernacle and in the time of the Prophetes vnder the allegorie of a spouse a flocke a vineyarde the Temple and Citie of Ierusalem A most absolute and euident paterne or President of the Church this booke comprehendeth and setteth foorth vnto vs declaryng that the same so grewe and increased as the Prophetes once described it vnto vs bicause none shall saye that we still had in our mouth such a Church as neyther was euer vpon the earth or euer shall bee as wise men vsed sometymes to saye of Plato his common weale For although wee shall hereafter see the accomplishment and full perfection of the church in heauen yet doth this booke set before vs such a president therof that whosoeuer frame themselues thereafter shall be members of that heauenly and perfite church and shall also vnderstand what way is best to take in preseruing and reforming their Churches and shall be offended at no chaunces of aduersitie nor yeelde to the dreames of such as obtrude vnto vs a straunge forme of Church saying our predecessours wanted many things which holye fathers afterwarde ordeyned and were receyued and established by authoritie of generall Councels For where this booke conteyneth in it an Hystorie of about xxviâ—j yeares settyng out vnto vs the Actes done in the Church ouer all the worlde besides the sermons of the Apostles their Counselles their sayings and doyngs aswell publike as priuate opened in a plaine and sufficient narration or discourse who will not say but hee is impudent that will affirme there are diuers other thinges necessarie vnto saluation which wee knowe the true Christian Church in the Apostles tyme had not Furthermore what arrogancie were it to contende with the Apostles whome the sonne of God appoynted to bee the teachers of all the worlde and to be witnesses of his doings as though wee were able of our selues to inuent or deuise a more absolute and perfite thing than they It shall also be very profitable to marke the trade and order of this Primitiue Church as out at a loupe or creuise and the chiefe poyntes thereof which Luke sayth sprang first of the word of God after Christ was ascended into heauen and from thence had sent his holy spirite through whose inspiration the Apostles beganne to preach the Gospell vnto the worlde and to bring disciples or beleeuers vnto christ Wherevppon wee gather that they which either will be members of Christes Church their selues or bring other to the communion and felowshippe thereof must beginne with the wholesome doctrine of the worde of god For where by byrth we are the children of wrath wee must needes be regenerated from aboue to become the children of god The seede of this regeneration is the eternall worde of God which beeing preached by the ministerie of man but quickened in the myndes of the hearers by the power of the spirite renueth the whole nature of man so that his fleshe being mortified he lyueth onely vnto GOD through Christ who not long before being estraunged from God lyued vnto sinne And the Apostles taught but one vniforme doctrine of the worde in all places the which worde Christ himselfe distributed into hys partes when he first commaunded repentaunce to be preached in his name and then next forgiuenesse of sinnes And although the Apostles had not alwayes
and newe testament commended 1 H ante O Holy Ghost the author of prophecy Pag. 484 Holy Ghost promised 1 Holy historie hath fiue vses or commodities 16 Honour is due to them that labour earnestlye to set foorth Gods glorye 757 They that will be honored as Gods what wee maye thinke of them Pag. 570 Hope must be reposed in God and not in men 46 Hope of the promises made to the fathers consisteth in Christ. 848 Hospitalitye 678.765.891 Hospitalitie hath rewards 891 House of God is the Church or congregation 122 House comprehendeth vnder it all sortes and degrees of men 127 Householders that are diligent are commended 427.431 H ante V Humanitie or curtesie 812.888 Humblenesse and obedience in Paule to be imitated 395 Humilitie 740 Humble tractable minde in Paule Pag. 395 Humilitie how much is vnderstanded by it 378 Hunger and persecution go togither Pag. 487 H ante Y Hypocrites and lande leapers are enimies to the truth 650 Hypocriticall boldenesse sette foorth in Sapphira 234 Hypocrisie declared to be a greeuous euill by the example of the Iewes Pag. 795.796 Hypocrites how they must be esteemed 228 Hypocrites are the slaues of Satan Pag. 231 Hypocrites arguments 414 Hyppocrites conditions sette foorth in Ananias 232.233 Hyppocrites properties 797 Hypocrites tiranny reprooued 801 Hypocriticall confidence 235 I ante A IAcob went downe into Aegipt and why 310 Iacob nourished through the liberalitie of his sonne whome hee mourned for so bitterly ibidem Iames is slaine with the sworde Pag. 490 Iames subscribeth to Peters opinion 600 I ante C Iconium 559 I ante D Idolatrie offendeth both God and Godly 338 Idoles worship 337 Idolatrie defendors 100 Idolators ioye 338 Idolatries beginning and encrease Pag. 336 Idolatrie among Christians howe euill it is 344 Idolatrie popish described 337 Idolatrie vnlawfull and abhominable 602 Idolatrie in the Israelites plagued Pag. 341 Idolatrie is of three kindes 342 Idolatrie in the Israelites deepelye rooted 339 Idolatrie of men must not be wited to God. ibidem Idle and riotous persons cause of much euill 651 I ante E Iereboam renewed the superstition of the Calues 340 Iesus is geuen vs of meere fauoure Pag. 530 Iesus is borne of the seede of Dauid according to the promises Pag. ibidem Iesus called Christ that is to saye annoynted 451.127 Iesus Christes name is hated of the wicked 170 Iesus Christ his office 330.331 Iewes howe grieuously they offended in denying Christ. 164 Iewes being pricked in heart seeke counsell at Peter and the other Apostles 129 Iewes worshippe not God. 823 Iewes beare witnesse of Paules innocencie 896.897 Iewes desire to heare the Gospell Pag. 898 Iewes the children of the Prophets and of the Testament 178 179 Iewes are Hypocrites 795.796 Iewes delyuered out of Egipt thorowe fauour and not through workes 314 Iewes moued with the preachinge of Peter and prycked in harte Pag. 129 Iewes Paules enemies 774 Iewes incumerable malice and hatred 798 Iewes howe they receyue the preachinge of Chryst. 423 Iewes weapons and sleyghtes against Christ. 551 Iewes fresh attempt against Paule Pag. 832 Iewes coÌ„tention about the doctrine of the Gospell 903 Iewes erroure touchinge Christes kyngdome 24 Iewes destruction 59 Iewes importunate malice 795 Iewes vnhappie estate 843.681 Iewes indignation agaynst Paule Pag. 798 Iewes miserable condition 678 Iewes what the name signifyeth Pag. 91 Iewes priestes in goyng aboute too hindre Christes kingedome set it forward 219 Iewes crueltie coulde not hindre Christ. 165.166 I ante G Ignoraunce how it excuseth 170 I ante M Image woorship what euill it hath bred among Christians 339 Images woorking myracles 726 Images condempned 672 Images made of GOD are lyes Pag. ibid. I ante N Inchauntments and magicall why God permitteth them 0 Incarnation of Christ and the consideration thereof 178 Inconstantie and lightnes in Commons 288 Incredulitie of the Iewes was wilfull 901 Incredulitie or vnbeliefe what an euill it is 31 Incredulities punnishment 902 Increase of gods church 148 Industrie or diligence of Paule Pag. 610 Industrie of Paule Silas and Barnabas in setting forth the kingdom of Christ. 610.611 Industrie an example 814 Ingratitude of the people ought to offend no man. 322 Ingratitude in sinning against Christ layde to our charge 323 Ingratitude punished 902.875 Ingratefuls punishement 323 Innocencie of Christe purgeth oure sinnes 535 Innocentes muste not bee deliuered at the pleasure of the enemyes Pag. 838 Insolencie or pryde of men that see the examples of Goddes power euery day and yet boldely holde on therein 3â—3 Intercession of saintes ouerthrowne Pag. 0 Integritie of the Prophetes and Apostles commended 794 Intencions of meÌ„ must not be thrust into the church 20.21 Inuocation must bee made with affiaunce in gods mercy 102.103 Inuocation is due to GOD onely Pag. 103 Inuocations fruite ibid. Inuocations order 102 Inuocation must bee vsed in the beginning and ende of all our doings Pag. 150 I ante O Iobs fayth touching the resurrection of our bodies 14 Iohn Marke withdraweth him selfe from the ministery of the gospell Pag. 518 Iohn Baptistes testimonie of christ Pag. 531 Ioye euerlasting 115 Ioye of the godly what it is 270 Ioye of the vngodly what it is Pag. 115 Ioye of the spirit 641 Ioye eternalles cause efficient is the beholding of god 120 Ioye of the godlye howe great it is Pag. 125 Ioseph saued of grace and fauoure Pag. 307 Ioseph a figure of Christ. 308 Iourney of Paule and Barnabas to preache 511 Iosephes loue and trustinesse toward his maister 311 Iosephes historie 307 Ioses why hee was called Barnabas 227 Ioses liberalitie 226 I ante S Isaac Iacobes fayth what it was Pag. 853 Israelites accused of Idolatrie by the Prophetes 339 Israelites gyuen vp into a reprobate sence by goddes iuste iudgement Pag. ibid. Israelites the peculiar people of god Pag. 95 Israelles multiplication in Egypt is to bee ascribed to gods fauoure Pag. 314 I ante V Iudas the Galilean 265 Iudas sinneth not alone in betraying Chryste but the whole Nacion with him 59 Iudas fielde 56.57 Iudas sorrowes 57 Iudas horrible death ibid. Iudas horrible ende 56 Iudas offences what they are 55 Iudas who they bee that followe Pag. 230 Iudas punishements foreshewed by the Prophetes 58 Iudas posterities estate 59 Iudas first dignitie 55 Iudgement of god against the Iewes Pag. 60 The last iudgement 457 The last iudgement is a tyme of refreshing and restitucion 175 The latter Iudgement 674 Iudgementes of god muste bee diligently marked 156.157 Iudgement and estimacion that men haue vs in muste not prouoke vs to be proude 72 Iudgement gyuen in haste for fauour of men is an hurtful thing 800 Iudgements of god how they ought to be vsed 725 Iudgement partiall is a pestilent thing 838 In Iudgement both partes must be heard 821 Iudge must haue two eares one for the plaintif an other for the defendant 635 Iudges must heare causes withoute delayes 842 Iudges in the Councell at Ierusalem are amazed wote not what to doe 203
Saintes companye how profitable it is 879 Saintes how much wee must attribute to them 161 Saintes are tryed with feare 684 Sapphira maketh an impotent and bolde lye 229 Sapphira ignoraunt of hir husbands death for a season and why 232 Sapphiras wickednesse reproued by Peter ibidem Sapphira punished as was hir husbande 237 Satan put men out of the waye of saluation 576 577 Satan can doe nothing against man but by gods permission 410 Satan hath his instrumentes euerye where 576 Satan throwne out by the name of Christ. 629 Satan what traines he vseth to establishe his kingdome among men Pag. 627 Satan howe hee is sayde to fill the heartes of the vngodlye 230 Satan beareth witnesse to the truth Pag. 628.629 Satans â—lightes must be taken heede of 577 Satans effectes in Hypocrites and in the wicked 230 Satans propertie 357 Satans pollicie 576 Saule receyueth a two folde answere of the Lorde 395 Saule persecuting the faythfull persecuteth Christ. 790 Saule an example of a cruel tyraunt Pag. 390.359 Saule truely called a rauening wolfe Pag. 357 Saule set forth for a peculiar example of Gods goodnesse and grace Pag. 394.395 Saule authorised by the Priestes to playe the Tyraunt 390 Saule when he was conuerted 392 Saule how he was conuerted ibideÌ„ Saule a president of tyranny 390 Saules conuerting to Christ historised 392 Saules ende and purpose 391 Saule the persecutor described 390 Saule the persecutors punishment Pag. 394 Saules saluation must be attributed to the grace of God onely 395 S ante C Schisme beginners are the byshops of Rome 194 Schooles foundations 49.84 Schooles needefull 509 Sclaunders wherewith Ministers are charged 467 Sclaunders must Christians put away and defende their good name Pag. 91 Sclaunders maye lawfullye be aunswered to ibidem Sclaunder or offence ibidem Scripture is of it selfe of credyte and auctoritie sufficyent 867 Scripture is enspired of God. 54 Scripture conteyneth al thing needefull for vs to beleue and obserue 7 Scripture of the olde and newe Testamentes pertayneth to all them that loue God. ibdem. Scripture must be expounded 647 Scriptures authoritie and certaynetye 897 Scripture must bee interpreted by conference of places 127 Scripture with what minde men must reade it 62 Scripture must be elucidated wyth interpretations 398 Scripture containeth the knowledge of the true God. 571 S ante E Sectes cause of discention among the Iewes 803 Securitie or carelesnesse must bee auoyded 269 Sedition described 722 Sedition happily ended 653 Sedition ended with ioye 653 Sedicion soone appeased 728 Sedition beginners who 770 In sedicion what christians must do Pag. 725 Seditious persons but fewe in number maye be authors of manifolde euilles 724 Sermons ought to beginne and ende with prayers 754 Seruers of tyrauntes turnes what they may looke for 504 S ante H Shipwrake described and the number of them that were in the shippe Pag. 885 A true sheapeheardes example 764 Shooes putting of what it meaneth Pag. 328 S ante L Sleepinesse or drowsinesse of churchmen 733 Slouthfulnesse of men in our dayes Pag. 272 Slouthfull men reprehended 890 Sluggishnesse and ydlenesse 653 S ante I Signes externe seale the interne and spirituall gyftes of God. 304.305 Signes visible of the presence of the holy ghost 82 Signes that God sheweth must bee dilygently considered 158 Signes externe are not sufficient to saluation 305 Signes called after the names of the things that they signifie 80.290 Signes haue muche lykenesse wyth the thinges that they signifie 80 Signes are diuerse 159 Signes to what vse they serue 359 Signes must not haue to much attributed to them 305 Sticking to signes is the beginning of ydolatrie 158 Simon how he tooke Peters expostulation 374 Simon Magus beleeueth and is baptised 367 Simon Magus an example of an hipocrite and a deceyuour 268 Simon Magus his sinne 370 Simons of our dayes 371 Simplicitie of the fayth 672 S ante O Solomon for his wiues sake that were aliauntes buylded Temples Pag. 340 Solomons wish 20 Sole or single lyfe maintayners 46 Soules of men vnder the protection of God. 119 S ante P Spirites appearing what wee ought to iudge of it 762 Spirite of Christ author of concorde and holynesse 78 Spirite of Christe his efficacy how great it is in men 155 Spirite of Christ in whome it raigneth 90 Spirites of the disseassed walke not Pag. 500 Spirite signified by the blowing of the winde and for what cause 79 Spirite of Christ so delyuereth vs from fearâ— that wee dare boldelye confesse Christ. 86 Spirite of God is from euerlasting Pag. 74 Spirite why it was promised to the Apostles 19 Spirite teacheth vs to reason of Gods doings and to call vpon him for helpe 84 Spirite of God wrought in the Apostles 74 Spirite of God spake by the Apostles 8 Spirite of Christ maketh men bolde in the confession of Christ. 85 Spirite of God altereth and enformeth tongues and for what causes Pag. 84 Spirite is the promise of the father Pag. 18 Spirite when he was sent 75 Spirite what daye he was sent to the Apostles ibi Spirite how he must be receyued 77 Spirite how he is giuen to whom Pag. 94 Spirite how he is sent 78 Spirite in what scence it is sayde to be sent to the Fathers 18.19 Spirite often promised and wherefore 74 Spirite where it was giuen ibidem Spirite sent visibly for what cause Pag. 78 Spirites effect in the Apostles and their hearers 82 Spirites effectes common to all beleeuers 96 Spirite how necessarie and to what vse in men 78 Spirites inuincible power 558 Spirites sending and Christes ascention ioyned togyther 124 Spirites sending called by the name of baptisme 21 Spirite promised Christ confirmeth by an argument taken from baptisme and the argument explicated ib. Spirites operation and giftes 77 Spirites effectuous operation 124 Spirites effectes in these dayes why they be so rare 258 Spirite promysed serueth for our comfort and instruction 19 Spirites power can not be comprehended nor hindred by any man. 80 Spirite howe the Apostles are sayde to haue receyued 74 Spirite must bee receyued of men with great preparation 77 Spirite of Satan what it doth in vncleane persons 85 Spirite of the olde and newe testament is but one 76 S ante T Steuen accused of impietie and stubbornenesse and vpon what occasion 288 Steuen accused of blasphemye against God and his lawe 292 Steuen by slaunders and false witnesse brought in hatred with all the people 287 Steuen instructed by the holy Ghost sheweth himselfe a fine disputer and abolde ibid. Steuen readye to yelde vp his lyfe is comforted by a vision and what that vision teacheth vs. 334 Steuen is without feare though in daunger of death 290 Steuen went not about to abrogate the lawe 351 Steuen prooueth that the cerimoniall lawe is abrogated ibid. Steuen deserued the crowne of martirdome 357 Steuen what he did at his death 355 Steuen no dispiser of Moses 321 Steuen blasphemed not the Temple and holy place nor the outwarde seruise 345
the lyfe he that beleeueth in mee though he were dead yet shall hee lyue and euery one that lyueth and beleeueth in mee shall not dye for euer What needeth many woordes There is none other cause of our beliefe in Christ but for that God promiseth vs euery where in him the life both of body and soule But who would beleeue to finde life in him which was not able to restore him selfe to lyfe againe Therefore least wee beyng offended at Christes death should doubte in his promises he was reuiued againe the thyrde day after his death and being raysed againe in his true body declared that he had power and authoritie to rayse againe our bodies likewise For he that beyng truely dead and buried touchyng his manhoode coulde rayse himself againe shall he not now much more being aliue and in his kingdome be able to restore our bodies from death to lyfe againe Hereunto belonge other promises of Christ prouyng his resurrection For he sayth Where I am there shall my mynister be And in an other place I will come againe and take you to my selfe that where I am there may you be also Againe Father those that thou hast gyuen to mee I will that where I am they shall be with mee that they may see my glory And what else could these fayre promises declare vnto vs but death vnlesse Christ being risen againe from death liued nowe in Heauen For thus we must of necessitie conclude where Christ is there must also his ministers be which beleeue in him but Christ being dead and buried remayned in death Ergo his ministers also remayne in death Now Christes resurrection doth moste stronglye confute this so desperate an argument and teacheth vs to reason agaynst the threates of death and terrour of Hell on this sorte Where Christ is there must also his mynisters be But Christ is risen from death ascended into Heauen and sitteth on the right hande of God the father Ergo The mynisters of Christ shall ryse from death and shall with Christ theyr king raigne in Heauen for euer Which thinges if the faithfull deepely consider in theyr mindes they shall straight way being boldened with this confidence be able to triumph ouer death and all theyr enimies and say with Paule the Apostle Death where is thy stinge Hell where is thy victory If God be with vs who can be agaynst vs For they are fully perswaded that neyther death nor lyfe can seperate them from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lorde Besides this death which is the reward and punishment of sinne could by no other meanes be conquered but by his resurrection For as longe as death helde them that were departed thys life hir power strength could neuer seeme subdued And it behooued that death should be subdued to set mankinde at libertie and to deliuer him from sinne For who could be certayne of remission of his sinnes and reconciliation with God the father as long as death raigned which God in his wrath appointed for the punishment of sinne It was therefore necessary that Iesus Christ should take away the yoke of sinne and rise againe from death that it might appeare howe death was subdued that sinne the sting of death was taken away and saluation restored to mankinde againe Therefore it was not without a cause that Christ thought it good to haue the truth of his Resurrection with so euident argumentes to be confirmed This is the chiefe cause that the auncient Prophetes mooued with the spirite of Christ prophecied the same aswell otherwheres as in the Psalme xvj and in Esay liij is to be seene Surely wee learne that this was the chiefe hope and greatest article of confession and beliefe wherby the true Catholikes woorshippers of God were alwaies knowne tried as may appeare by thexample of Iob. For when he was accused by his importunate friendes of breach of faith and religion he prooued him selfe this way onely to be faultlesse for that he firmely beleeued the roote and foundation of religion I know saith he that my redeemer lyueth and that I shall ryse out of the earth in the last day and shall be couered agayne with my skinne and shall see God in my fleshe and I my selfe shall beholde him not with other but with the same eyes This hope is layde vp for me in my bosome â–ª This place teacheth vs what wee should iudge of those mockers which Hystories mention to haue bene in all Ages and the Apostles foreshewed should raigne in the later age And now a dayes we may euery where here the prophane and wicked voices of such as thinke themselues iolly companions and pleasantly conceyted when they can with scurrilitie scoffe and deride that which we holde and beleeue of the last commyng of Christ and of the resurrection of the bodye But they can by no argument more euidently prooue themselues voyde of all religion than by this For in this Article all the pointes of our beliefe and religion so agree that who so denieth this taketh away at once all the beliefe and mysteries of mans saluation Wee gather this sense out of Paules woordes which writyng against such among the Corinthians as denied the resurrection amongst other thinges saith If Christ be preached how that he rose from the dead how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead If there be no rysing againe of the dead then is Christ not rysen againe If Christ be not rysen againe then our preachyng is in vayne and your fayth is also in vaine and you remayne in your sinnes Therfore they that are fallen a sleepe in Christ are perished If in this lyfe onely wee beleeue on Christ then are wee of all men most miserable c. Therefore such wicked scoffers must be put away from vs and haue no place permitted to them in well ordered common weales For what will they leaue vnassayde which will go about so boldely to ouerthrowe the foundation of our health and as it were with one blowe cut of the heade of all faith and religion as much as in them lieth Let vs learne to haue a right thought and cogitation of the resurrection that the same may serue both to gouerne our life and to comfort vs For this is a most effectuall preseruatiue against the intisements of flesh the world oftentimes to call to remembrance set before our eyes the shew and counterfaite of the last iudgement set out to vs in the scripture Againe there can happen no greater comfort to man than while he is in this body to thinke of the ioyes of heauen which he shall enioy in the resurrection of the dead Notwithstanding he is now depressed with infinite greefes cares and sorrowes Uerily Paule exhorteth the Christians one to comforte an other with such things as are written in Scripture touching this article It remaineth that we speake of that other thing
through the power of the holy ghost the affections be bridled that would carye them awry Or what safetye can there be of publike weales which are not led with the spirite of God but with fleshly wisedome Whereas it is manifest that all good successe and felicitie dependeth of God Salomon the wysest of all men well marked this thing who hauing choyse giuen him of God to aske those thinges that are in greatest price amongest men despising all other craued of God the spirite of wisedome and of that true wisedome which he describeth in his booke of Prouerbes whose beginning and roote is the feare of the Lorde And woulde to God they woulde often remember this that are Rulers in the Church and in the common weale For the same woulde both kindle in them an ardent desire to prayer and godlynesse and woulde make them more listen to the worde of God wherevpon coulde not but ensue a true and perfite safetie of the people committed to their charge But before we depart from this place two things remayne to be discussed which may profitably be gathered of the promise of the holye ghost made to the Apostles For first it hereby appereth that the holy ghost was the auctor of the Apostles doctrine and therefore the same ought to be esteemed as proceeding from God and not from man For where they tooke vppon them to preach after they had receyued the holye ghost which according to Christes promise taught them all truth surely all their teaching must be referred to the same spirite So wee must holde the dignitie and authortie thereof as great as Christ maketh it which sending forth his Disciples to preach sayth He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me With the which argument Paule seemeth to be encouraged to say If an Angell from heauen teache you anye other Gospell beside that which wee haue preached let him be accursed For how great soeuer the maiestie and the glory of Angels is yet if the same be compared with the holy ghost by whom they were created it is of no value We haue therfore in this place what to aunswere to them which hearing vs reiect and condemne the traditions of men crye out that the Apostles were men likewise and thinke hereby to prooue that eyther the Apostles doctrine must likewyse be reiected or else some place is left in the church for mans traditions And in deede we are not ignorant that the Apostles were men But bicause they spake not as men nor in their teaching declared not the cogitations of men but according as the holy ghost inspired their harts shewed the mysteries of saluation and of the kingdome of heauen therfore their opinions by no meanes must be reckoned amongst the traditions of men Secondly this place teacheth vs that nothing ought to be taught and preached in the Church but that that is deliuered by the holy ghost For the Church is the house of God in which the onely voyce of the goodman of the house is to be hearde and according to his prescript all things ought to be ordered And as the Bryde obeyeth the onely voyce of the Brydegrome and is not iudged chaste if she giue eare to the entysements or promises of shamelesse suters so where the sonne of God hath espoused to himselfe the congregation of the faithfull washed with his owne bloud and hath made vs partakers of all his goodes whch is the proper ende of mariage we may not follow any other voyce than that whereby Christ the Bridegrome calleth vs vnto him Further for that Christ hath made vs the sheepe of his pasture and hath redeemed vs with the losse of his owne bloude it behooueth vs to follow his voyce and not to harken to the voyce of any straunger or hyreling Neyther is their opinion to be receiued which thinke it an errour worthye of pardon to chaunge and alter somewhat in the doctrine of faith and saluation so that in all things God onely might be worshipped For to graunt that such haue a zeale of God yet bicause they want the knowledge of the truth they can no more please God than did the Iewes in time past which being inflamed with the zeale of God went about to establishe their owne righteousnesse and reiected that righteousnesse which God offreth vs in his sonne to be imbraced by faith And surely if our zeale had bene sufficient in so weighty a matter it had bene but vaine for the Apostles to haue looked for the sending of the holye ghost why did they not therfore steppe forth to preache and according to the godlye intent of their minde teach the people what they thought belonged to the honor of God and glory of Christ But Christes commaundement stopped them who as he elsewhere appointed them to preach the things he taught them so without the conduct of the holye ghost he will they shall not take vppon them to preach least that being beguiled with the counsell of mans wisedome or seduced by corrupt affections of the flesh they should swarue from the right way And we reade that the olde Prophets were bounde by the same commaundement also in whome the Apostle plainely testifieth that the spirite of Christ did speake It is sayde to Hieremie Behold I haue put my words in thy mouth And God sayth to Ezechiel Thou shalt heare woordes from my mouth and shalt warne them from me Therefore it is a wicked and monstrous temeritie of some men which thinke they haue authoritie to coyne newe articles of the faith and to thrust into the Church traditions inuented by mans brayne And who I praye you woulde thinke him a faithfull friende of the Bridegroomes which woulde not feare to intice and inuegle the Bryde to his lure and purpose Let them therefore which teach in the Church receyue all their doctrine at the mouth of god He speaketh vnto vs in the Scriptures by his holye spirite Let them therefore reade them and they shall not erre But let vs returne to Christes wordes from whence we digressed For he going about to render a cause of his commaundement sayth Of whom you haue hearde of mee For Iohn truely baptised with water but you shall be baptised with the holy ghost after not many dayes These words haue a confirmation of promise and consolation very necessary For as there were diuers other things which might make the Apostles carefull in the consideration of their office so there was no little cause to feare them least some incommoditie might arise of the stay and tariaunce of the holy ghost Therefore to take awaye all feare hee repeateth his promises not in the same words that are in the Euangelists but with such as might bring to their remembrance Iohn the Baptistes saying touching this matter which was verye needefull to be done by reason of the great authoritie that Iohn had amongst all men Neyther ought it to seeme an absurde thing
that Iesus Christ which otherwheres receyueth no testimonye of man woulde prooue his promise by an argument taken from the authoritie of Iohn and his baptisme For this is the guise and maner of God to accommodate himselfe to our capacitie for that he would haue it appeare that Iohn spake by the holy ghost This therfore seemeth to me to be the meaning of Christes words If you remember with your selues both the things which I haue sundry times promised you and which you haue heard of Iohn my forerunner you can no longer doubt of the sending of the holye ghost For when he baptised those that came to him in Iordane he gathered the people not to himselfe but to me whom he truely confessed to be more excellent than himselfe and shewed them what I would giue them that beleued in me euen the holy ghost which is the spirite of adoption and earnest of saluation kindled in the beleeuing people a great desire of my kingdome The water of baptisme was a figure of this benefite which afterward I should bestow vpō them Which seeing ye haue receyued of Iohn not without the inspiration of God doubt not of the things which he hath promised you For as Iohn hath discharged his dutie towardes you and hath receyued you being sprinkled with water into the felowship of my body which is the Church euen so wil I not fayle truly to accomplishe that that belongeth to my charge that is to poure out my spirite most abundantly vpon you the signe whereof you haue already receyued This sense I say seemeth of all other most agreeable to Christes purpose Neyther ment Christ here to make a difference betweene his and Iohns outwarde baptisme For it is plaine that Iohns baptisme and Christs was all one forasmuch as Christ would be baptised of him He rather maketh a difference betweene the signe and the thing signified by the signe and betweene his and Iohns office He calleth the sending of the holy ghost by the name of baptisme by an allusion and bicause of the proportion that is perceyued to be betweene the outwarde signes and the things signified But we haue in these wordes two things most worthy to be considered First that we ought to make a difference betweene the Ministers and Christ whose Ministers they are least we attribute to them that that belongeth only to christ Iohn baptiseth with water but Christ giueth the holy ghost So the Minister is occupied about outward things while he preacheth the word admonisheth exhorteth rebuketh comforteth prayeth for the congregation ministreth the sacraments But they themselues be subiect to Christ which according to his good will quickneth the seede of the word in them by his holy spirit worketh holy motions cheereth them with comfort and to conclude reformeth and frameth them after the image of God neyther mattereth it that all these thinges sometimes be attributed to the Ministers and that Paule sayth he had begotten the Corinthians in Christ and that he traueyleth againe with the Galathians For where God hauing no neede of vs doth vouchsafe to vse men as his coadiutors bicause he would haue the Ministery by him ordeyned in the more authoritie therefore vseth he to adorne it with such titles For the which cause the same Paule sayth vnto the Corinthians whom he perceyued too much addicted to the Ministers What is Paule what is Apollo but Ministers by whom you haue beleeued and as the Lorde hath giuen to euery man I haue planted Apollo hath watred but it is God that giueth the increase So neyther is he that planteth any thing neyther he that watereth but God which giueth the increase If these thinges be obserued both we shall worthily esteeme of the Ministerie and giue all the glory of our saluation to Christ for the which his spirite euery where in the Scriptures so earnestly laboureth Secondarily it is very worthye the consideration that Christ taketh an argument from baptisme to prooue to his Apostles the truth of his promise Wee are taught hereby that the Sacramentes doe so seale the promises and benefites of God that wee neede no whit to doubt of the same For God mocketh vs not with vaine shewes and promises but whatsoeuer he promiseth in worde and sealeth with sacraments the same hee vseth to perfourme in deede He promiseth vs by the preaching of the gospell forgiuenesse of sinnes in the name of Iesu Christ and the spirite of adoption whereby we are made the children of god He addeth as a seale to his promise baptisme where we being visibly washed are receyued into the outwarde societie of the Church or children of god Therfore whosoeuer beleeueth the promise of the Gospell hee is so certayne of the forgiuenesse of his sinnes of his adoption and the possession of the heauenly inheritance as he is certayne hee is washed with baptisme By a lyke reason are we taught in the Gospell that the flesh and bloude of Christ were gyuen and offred on the aultar of the crosse for the lyfe of the worlde that the sinnes of the worlde should be purged with the sacrifice of the immaculate lambe Christ hath ioyned to this promise his supper the remembraunce of hys death in steade of a seale therof Therefore whosoeuer beleeueth the Gospell is as certaine that Christes body and bloude was offred for his sinnes and is as surely fedde with the merite of Christes bodye and bloude vnto lyfe euerlasting as hee is sure that he receyueth part of the breade and wine at the Lordes table according to Christes institution And after this sort the sacraments are sayd to seale the righteousnesse of fayth and to confirme and feede our fayth not that the outwarde elements conceyue anye secrete vertue or power by the wordes of consecration for that efficacy and power must be attributed to all that holy businesse by reason of Christes institution which institution if thou take away alter or breake thou prophanest and ouerthrowest the sacrament vtterly Therfore our myndes must be lift vp that the thing we testifye by outwarde action wee may perfourme by fayth which only apprehendeth Christ and the benefites which he hath bestowed on vs and gathereth vs into the number of those which shall raigne with him in heauen to whom be blessing honour glory and power for euer Amen The fourth Homelie WHEN they therefore were come togither they asked of him saying Lorde wilt thou at this time restore againe the kingdome to Israell And hee sayde vnto them It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the father hath put in his owne power But yee shall receyue power after that the holy ghost is come vpon you And you shall be witnesses vnto me not onely in Hierusalem but also in Iurie and in Samarie and euen vnto the worldes ende AFter Luke with great diligence hath declared how our sauiour Iesus Christ instructed his Apostles whō he would haue to be teachers of al the world with
them whose labour and loyaltie afterwards shined very bright in the setting forth of the kingdome of saluation and to whome they owe immortall thankes whosoeuer through their doctrine haue attayned to knowe Christ. But our meaning is that men should learne to knowe the inclination of our corrupt nature and flesh which is the first steppe vp to holesome and true wisedome And to that ende the Scripture vseth oftentimes to remember the horrible falles of most holy men that in them might appeare howe easie it is for vs to fall into sinne and damnation vnlesse we were holden vp by the faythfull and continuall care and leading of Gods holy spirite For what shall he hope more of himselfe which beholdeth the adultery and cruell murther of Dauid a man after Gods owne minde the multitude of Wiues that Salomon the wisest of all kings had being to much wedded to his Wiues the foule fall of Peter and here the great error of all the Apostles gathered togither we must needes confesse that we are not able of our selues so much as to thinke one good thought much lesse to doe well but that all our sufficiency to doe well commeth of God who worketh in vs both the will and the deede according to his good will. Furthermore it appeareth by this example of the Apostles with what minde they imbrace Christ and his doctrine which are not led by his holye spirite For as these men little minding Christes heauenly kingdome looke after an earthly kingdome and in the same conceyue great hope of riches power glorye and pleasures so you shall see diuers likewyse affected in these dayes when the merite of Christ and the libertie gotten vs by him is preached which looking onely vppon the goodes of the worlde seeke vnder the pretext of Christ honors riches outward peace and such like in the meane whyle little regarding the heauenly and euerlasting goodes which Christ hath purchased vs through the merite of his bloudshedding To say nothing in the meane season of those filthy hogges of Epicures herde who professing a Christian faith doe yet nothing else but followe licentious sinfulnesse casting aside all discipline and care ofholy lyfe Surely euen they which in these dayes goe for the best men vnder the faire pretence of peace and concorde swarue many times from the simplicitie of faith and both say and doe many things for fauour and pleasure of men which are most contrary to Christs commaundements As though the friendship of this world might stande with the true worship of Christ and were not rather as Iames sayth enmitie before god This is the strong poyson of fayth and religion whiche though it lye hidde manye times vnder a fayre shewe and colour yet at the length it bursteth forth with the horrible losse of saluation and offence of a great many for of this roote spring these tymetakers which are to soone ripe whome the Lorde in Mathew likeneth to the stony grounde For as this grounde receyueth in deede the seede and causeth it soone to spring but cannot bring it to rypenesse for lacke of moysture to defende it against the parching heate of the sunne so these men when they perceiue any hope of priuate commoditie by the Gospell they will seeme marueylous fauourers of the same they will haue Christ still in their mouth and will crake that they are ready to fight with any man in the defence of Christes glorye But if that hope deceyue them and otherwise than they hoped the crosse come and banishment pouertie and daunger on euery side appeare then as though they had espide a Snake they leape backe and laying away all their faith and counterfeiting of faith they spare not to say they were wickedly deceyued and so degenerate into open enimies of the truth being a little before stoute defenders of the same Least therfore the lyke might happen in vs it behooueth vs to haue a right opinion of Christ and his doctrine Let vs seeke in him heauenly goodes which serue to eternall saluation As long as we lyue here let vs looke for the crosse and all kinde of afflictions So shall it come to passe that neyther we shall be deceyued of our hope in heauen neyther be offended with the crosse and tribulations which wee so long before prepared our selues paciently to suffer Yet is there one other vtilitie of the Apostles errour Their example teacheth vs how difficult and laborious a thing it is to pull out of mens mindes olde growne errours wherein their selues haue lyued and bene confirmed by open example of others For as was declared a little before this errour of the Iewes touching the earthly kingdome of their Messias was an olde and common errour in taking awaye of the which Iesus Christ traueyled more than almost in any one thing else For as often as the Apostles deceyued by this errour stroue for the supremacie so often Christ admonisheth them of humilitie and sheweth them that his kingdome is of a farre other fashion See the .xviij. .xx. of Mathew and Luke the .xxij. Neither fell it out to reason of this matter so few times as one after his resurrection For where this erronious opinion gaue occasion of offence to the twoo Disciples going to Emaus and they lamented that he was crucified and deade whome they hoped shoulde haue bene the Redeemer of Israel Christ aunswered O ye fooles and slowe of heart to beleeue all the thinges that are written in the Prophets Was it not needefull that Christ should suffer all these things and so enter into his glorie Furthermore Luke sayde before that Christ was conuersant fourtye dayes with his Disciples and reasoned with them concerning the kingdome of God and all the mysteries of his kingdome Whence commeth it therfore that an opinion so often and so strongly confuted shoulde againe be reuiued Surely of none other cause than of the disposition of our corrupt nature which as it easily drinketh in error so it always holdeth fast the same And as the Ethnicke Poet sayth Driue Nature forth with a forke yet will shee returne againe So the Israelites in times paste vsed to the Idolatrie of the Egyptians fell to the worshipping of a calfe notwithstanding they had heard the terrible maiestie of God renounceing and forbidding all vse of Images not manye dayes before Hereof came that long retayned superstition of hill aultars in the bookes of Kings which the most godly kinges could not wholy abolish And woulde God there were not examples in these dayes that plainly prooue that we say to be true This consideration therefore serueth partly for vs to learne how needefull it is in all reformations cleane to roote and rippe vp all things whatsoeuer haue neuer so small occasion of error and partly to cause vs to be the lesse oâ—fended with them which continually fight against olde superstitions knowing by the example of all ages that there can in this matter be no diligence to much nor no endeuour
dwelling of the Saintes sheweth vs Christ saying Our conuersation is in heauen from whence we looke for a Sauiour euen the Lorde Iesus Christ. Doth he not here appoynt the same place vnto Christ into the which our bodies shall once be receiued To this is to be ioyned the describing of the maner and order of the resurrection to come where he sayeth The Lorde himselfe shall come downe from heauen with the noyse and voyce of an Archaungell and trumpe of God and the deade in Christ shall first aryse and then wee that be on lyue which shall remayne shall be taken with them in the Clowdes to meete the Lorde and so shall we alwayes be with him He sayth that Christ the Lorde shall come yea descende from heauen and that it might appeare of what heauen he meaneth he sayth that we shall be taken in the Clowdes to meete Christ in the aire Therfore all these things are to be vnderstanded of some higher place in heauen where both Christ sitteth and raigneth in his body and into the which all the elect shall hereafter be translated Howbeit Luke is most diligent in describing the maner of his ascention Where first he sayth that holding vp his handes into heauen he blessed the Apostles that is bade them farewell and after the common maner of men departing one from another commended them to the tuition and protection of God almightie Afterwarde they looking vpon him he was taken vp into heauen Which one thing conuinceth them of vanitie and errour which saye Christ vanished away inuisibly For if they herein saye true how was he taken vp on high the Disciples looking vpon him Or would he therefore seeme to ascende bicause he woulde haue vs beleeue he were still conuersant on the earth Herevnto is to be added the ministerye or seruice of the Clowde which as it conueyed him from the earth as in a chariot euen so it caried hym higher than mans sight coulde reach to and tooke him out of sight He vsed the Clowde as a chariot according to that saying of the Psalme which makest the Clowds thy Charet For the Clowde was both a token of heauen into the which he should ascende and also bare plaine witnesse of his heauenly and diuine maiestie Wherevnto also is to be referred the appearing of the Aungels which he would not onely haue witnesses but also ministers of his ascention For it was meete that he which vsed the seruice of Angels in his conception natiuitie temptation death and resurrection should now likewyse vse the same ministers when he woulde declare the greatest poynt of his maiestie And it serued for our profit bicause we might know the maiestie of our sauiour and that although he were absent in bodye yet that he would easily protect and defende vs by his holye spirite and ministery of Aungels whose power hath long since bene prooued by many examples to be infinite and inuincible And although these be great tokens of Christes diuine maiestie and power yet maye we receyue more comfort of the causes mouing Christ to ascende into heauen For by them appeareth the great vtilitie that commeth to vs And first it was requisite so to be bicause of our redemption and saluation which otherwise coulde not be accomplished For whereas by reason of sinne the gates of heauen were shut vp and such is the corruption of our nature that Paule sayth fleshe and bloude that is man ledde with corrupt and carnal affections cannot inherite the kingdome of God it was necessarye that the heauens shoulde be opened againe by Christ that wee might take him for our sauiour and Redeemer This did Christ most commodiously by bringing his fleshe which he tooke of the Uirgin into heauen For who perceyueth not there is a waye made for our fleshe into heauen when he heareth that Christes fleshe in all poyntes lyke vnto ours sinne only excepted is resident in heauen To saye nothing in the meane season of the permutation and chaunge here made For as Christ graffeth his spirite in our hartes to th ende it shoulde be to vs in this lyfe the earnest and pledge of our eternall saluation so againe he caried into heauen our fleshe which he tooke of the virgin Marie that we myght be certified as it were by this pledge that we one daye should in our bodyes inherite the kingdome of heauen Wherevnto Paule hauing respect writeth God which is rich in mercy through the great loue wherewith hee loued vs euen when wee were deade by reason of sinne hath quickened vs togither with Christ for by Grace are you saued and hath also raysed vs vp againe and hath also made vs sit with him in heauen And Paule speaketh not these things in vaine but hath Christ the warranter and Auctor of his saying whose Testament as it were these words following are Father I will that where I am these also whome thou hast giuen me may be with me Wherefore that strong and inuincible trust through the consideration of his ascention ought to bee in euerye mans minde that Tertullian speaketh of Be out of care or be of good cheere fleshe and bloude you haue gotten both heauen and the kingdome of God in Christ. Furthermore by Christes ascention into heauen as by a publyke triumphe we are certifyed of the victorie that he hath gotten of the Deuill For as the Princes of this worlde when they haue vanquyshed their enimies returne home agayne with triumph wherin the Captaynes of the enimies are led Captiues and their ensignes displayed all which declare the victory to be verily gotten so the sonne of God after he had made warre against the Deuill the Prince of this worlde and had vtterly subdued him woulde after this solemne pompe in the sight of his friendes go agayne into heauen that we might be assured the Deuils power was vanquished and that we were deliuered from his tiranny And to this ende Paule seemeth to alledge that saying of the .lxviij. Psalme When he was gone vp on high hee ledde captiuitie captiue and gaue giftes vnto men And in another place hee writeth He made an open showe of rule and power and triumphed ouer them in his owne person Therefore as often as the power of Satan sinne and death shall make vs afrayde so often let vs flye to Christes ascention wherein he hath giuen vs an euident signe of victorye gotten of them and hath sealed the affaires of our redemption as it were with publike and solemne triumph Thirdly the reason of Priesthoode required that Christ shoulde enter into heauen wherevnto Dauid witnesseth he was assigned saying The Lorde hath sworne and will not repent him Thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech But the high Priest was woont once euerye yeare to enter into the holy place that was wythin the veyle and that not without bloude which bicause it was a figure of things it behooued Christ shoulde enter
or religion in the lyke case For he separateth them farre from things chaunceing by casualtie and putteth them vnder the gouernance of Gods prouidence saying The lottes are cast into the lap but the ordering thereof standeth all in the Lorde But Ioseph is pretermitted or put backe and Matthie appoynted to succeede Iudas in the roume of an Apostle But as farre as maye be gathered by this place Ioseph to mans iudgement seemed the meeter and better man who beside the surname of Barsabas which signifieth the sonne of an othe that is to saye one most faythfull and true of his worde was also called Iustus And as touching Matthias there is nothing mentioned in the Scripture beside his bare name Yet he in the iudgement of God is preferred before the other This thing serueth both for our instruction and consolation For it teacheth vs not to be prowde of the iudgement of men and of the great estimation they haue vs in For as men maye be deceyued in their iudgements so they oftentimes chaunge their iudgements as they see mens fortune vseth to chaunge And there are examples in all Nations which teach vs that they haue bene throwne into extreeme ignominie which not long before that many headded beast the people extolled aboue the starres Let vs therefore seeke to stande vpright in Gods iudgement who as he cannot be deceyued so whome he once fauoureth hee neuer casteth of if that they continue in their dutie Againe this example comforteth vs when we see our selues charged with the vniust preiudices of men or rather altogither reiected For then we must not thinke that therfore God also contemneth vs forasmuch as he dependeth not vpon mans authoritie but many times chooseth the despisedst among men to the weyghtiest and greatest affayres to th ende that all glory may be giuen to him and that no flesh should eralt it selfe in his sight See 1. Cor. 1. Moreouer we must not pretermit to consider in this place how neither Ioseph nor yet those that fauoured him murmured or grutched when they hearde Matthie admitted by the Lorde Neyther is it lyke that Ioseph was discouraged therefore forasmuch as he knewe there were diuers other states and callings wherein he might declare his obedience and seruice vnto god Let vs folowe the example of so great modestie and being content with our estate let vs not couet to climbe any higher least we rashlye accuse the iudgement of God and whyle we thinke our selues worthye of greater honor be founde vnworthye of that place that God hath set vs in There be many implements in a well stored house and also great diuersitie among the same The chiefe roume the Apostles are worthy of which they obtayned through the meere fauour of god They continued in the same roume and place with constant faith contemnyng themselues lyuyng innocently and charitably whose steps whosoeuer will followe they shall liue an immortall and blessed life with them in Christ Iesus our sauiour to whom be blessing honour power and glory for euer Amen The seconde chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The tenth Homelie WHEN the fyftie dayes were come to an ende they were all with one accorde togither in one place And sodeinly there came a sounde from heauen as it had bene the comming of a mighty winde and it filled all the house where they sate And there appeared vnto them clouen tongues lyke as they had bene of fire And it sate vpon eche one of them And they were al filled with the holy Ghost AMongst the promises wherewith our Sauiour Iesus Christ vseth oftentimes to comfort his Apostles there is none more often repeated than that promise touching the sending of the holy ghost For where he sayth they should be faine to pleade their causes before Princes and Rulers he putteth all feare out of theyr myndes in that he sayth they should haue the holy ghost to counsell them who should furnishe them with Argumentes and all kinde of vtteraunce And when he was neere vnto his death he iterateth the same promise of his spirite three or foure times which he sayth should be vnto them a Comforter a Counceller and a guide in all they should go about Finally when he was risen from death he both admonisheth them againe of his promise and commaundeth them to wayte for the same holye Ghost at Hierusalem And this so diligent a repetition of his promise must not bee thought superfluous For it serued both for the instruction of the Apostles least eyther they should runne vnprepared to the function of so high an office or else through feare of daunger should be dismayde or discouraged And it is very profitable for vs in these dayes for we may gather hereof that the Apostles doctrine is inspired from God and may not without manifest impietie be dispised But least any obscuritie or ambiguitie of so great a matter might remaine it behooued that the spirite so often promised should not come into the mindes of the Apostles by any secrete maner of inspiration but visiblie and not without publike miracle Which thing Luke sheweth both was done and howe it was done in this place he declareth diligentlye and wyth great perspicuitie It is an Hystorie verie worthie whose circumstances euerie one should be throughly considered Before we enter into the Euangelistes wordes something must be sayde touching the holy ghost that we may well vnderstand what the Apostles receyued First we must not imagine that before this tyme eyther there was no holy ghost or that the Apostles were wholy destitute of him For that he is from euerlasting of the same substaunce that God is it is plaine by manye testimonies of the olde Testament Dauid verily confesseth that all the hostes of heauen were made by the breath of the Lordes mouth And Peter teacheth vs that the Prophetes in tymes past were inspired with the spirite of Christ by reuelation of which spirit they prophecied long before both the afflictions that Christ should suffer and also the glorie that he should haue Also the Archangell Gabriel promiseth that Marie the Uirgin should conceyue and bring foorth through the operation of the holye ghost As touching the Apostles there is no man will affirme that is in his wittes that they vtterlye lacked the spirite of God vntill this day of Pentecost For although their weaknesse and imperfection was great yet they both knewe Iesus Christ and plainly confessed that he was the promised Sauiour of mankinde which thing as Christ testifieth they coulde not doe without the reuelation of the holye ghost Neyther must we expounde thys Hystorie of the substaunce of the holy spirite as though the thirde person in Trinitie as auncient writers call it had come downe and bene inclosed in the mindes of the Apostles For this person can be contayned in no one place but which is a sure and certain note of Godheade entereth through all things and filleth all places both in heauen and in earth
denie it For whosoeuer hath any taste of the doctrine of the gospell shall confesse that the preaching therof beateth downe the same Neyther doth the spirite of Christ by outwarde worde onely oppugne the same but it also consecrateth the minds vnto God that they which a little while ago were the bondslaues of sinne are now become the Temples of the liuing god In the meane season we denie not but there are many which abuse the colour of the gospell to sow dissention and to plant libertie But ought the gospell to be charged therewith I pray you what wise man condemneth the Magistrate bicause diuers vnder the colour thereof haue become Tyrauntes and oppressors of the libertie of their Countrie Why doe we not rather marke the vse of the Magistrate which is appointed for that ende that the lust of priuate persons should be restrayned and violence and tyrannie be brideled Euen so let vs confesse that the right vse of the Gospell and effect of the holye ghost is onely to set vp true concorde and holly honestie of life Nay if we shall confesse the truth there is none other concorde acceptable before God than that which is amonge the faythfull in Iesus Christ which are borne againe of the worde and spirite of god Neyther can there be any other true holinesse and innocencie than that whereof Christes spirite is the Author For that holinesse which men counterfaite without his spirite is hippocriticall and is not able to abide the iudgement of God as straunge from the righteousnesse of Christ which vseth to supplie all the defectes and wantes of the faythfull Now to these aforesayde poyntes Luke ioyneth the maner of his sending which was visible both bicause the Apostles might conceyue through presence of the spirite the greater confidence and boldnesse to go about their office and also for our cause that it might appeare how Iesus Christ neuer forsaketh his Church but defendeth it by his inuisible grace which he declared by the sending of his holy spirit For hereto serueth that notable promise I will not leaue you comfortlesse And againe Beholde I am with you vntill the ende of the worlde But touching the maner howe this thing was here done three things remaine to be discussed First there was sodainly a noyse from heauen And it is not without a mysterie that these things come to passe sodainly or vnlooked for For this is alwayes Gods vsage that he then most truely performeth his promises when we least looke for them yea when there is no more helpe remayning in man So he performeth his promise in deliuering his people out of the bondage of Egypt foure hundred yeares after the Israelites were bereft of all libertie and were constrayned to beholde most horrible examples of Tyrannie in their newe borne babes and haue nothing safely to trust vnto So in this place he sendeth the holy ghost now sodainely when they least thought of it whose comming he had deferred now a .xj. daies long We are taught by these examples paciently to wayte for the promises of god For where God is truth it selfe he cannot deceiue And forasmuch as he is our Lord we his seruaunts it becommeth vs to attende his leysure and not to prescribe him any time Tarie thou the Lordes leysure sayth Dauid be stronge and he shall comfort thine heart and put thou thy trust in the Lorde And the Prophete sayth If he tarie yet wayte thou for him For in verie deede he will come and not be slacke And such a noyse and sounde came from heauen bicause wee might knowe that the holye Apostles endued with an heauenly and diuine spirite were become preachers of an heauenly and diuine doctrine and not mans the aucthoritie and credite whereof might be called in doubt This serueth to confute the foolishnesse of such as with the ritche glutton require teachers to come from an other worlde from heauen or from hell And whatsouer thinges are sayde of mans saluation and dutie they reiect with this scoffe saying there was yet neuer none that came eyther from heauen or hell to tell vs what is there to do So they disclose how theyr wicked mindes are voyde of all religion For onlesse these wicked men had vtterly put away all shamefastnesse they would know that the sonne of God came downe from heauen into fleshe and rose againe from death and most faythfully declared vnto vs the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen They would know that the holy ghost came downe from heauen and spake these things by the Apostles which they haue taught vs touching the meane of our saluation and what our dutie is But he that would require any newe kinde of learning yea though an Aungell brought it from heauen he ought not to be beleeued but accursed Secondly a certaine blast or violent winde russhing in filled all the house where the Apostles dwelt And that the spirite is signifyed by blast or winde it is no doubt bicause the very name of spirite is a borrowed speache and the diuine power is so called for that it pierceth and by his power conserueth all things And the Hebrues vse this worde Ruach which is as well vsed for the winde as for the spirite Christ woulde in this place therefore vse the token of winde to set before our eyes as it were the strength and efficacie of the holy spirite which is incomprehensible to mans capacitie and can be attayned to by no power of man It is better to here himselfe interpretate the same thing For reasoning with Nicodemus of the operation of his spirite by the which they that beleeue are borne againe he sayth The winde bloweth where it will and thou hearest the noyse thereof but knowest not whence it commeth nor whither it goeth For as the wit of man coulde not hitherto shewe vs for a certayntie the causes and begynnynges of the wynde although they haue long and much searched for the same so the operation of the holy spirite farre passeth the capacitie of man although we effectuallye feele the same in our hartes And euen as the blowyng of windes can not be let by any deuice or force of men so the spirite of Christ which worketh by the gospell feareth not the strength of men nor is not hindred therby to shew his power where and when he wyll Yea foolishe and ridiculous is the endeuour of them whosoeuer wyll striue with God to bryng the spirite and worde of God to their bent wyl holde them within boundes of them appoynted Examples hereof we haue euery where but the Apostles examples of right ought to haue the first place They were commaunded of the Lorde that they should fyll all the world with their preachyng This seemed a thing impossible to be done by simple vnlearned men despised persons Yea as many as were counted eyther of power or wisdome in the worlde withstoode them Yet the spirite of Christe by the ministerie of the
Apostles burst into all the worlde which this vehement blast here did foresignifie and in despite of the worlde and Prince of the worlde the doctrine of the gospell was published throughout all Nations Let these thinges comfort vs against the vayne enterprises of the worlde and Tyrannes which studie to stop the course of the gospell For Christe lyueth styll which from hygh derideth the counselles of them and whose spirite bloweth where he wil and is not ruled at mens pleasure Thirdly there appeare clouen tongues as it were of fire which when they were settled vpon the heades of eche of them they were all fylled with the holy ghoste Wee sayde the wynde was a token or signe of the holye ghoste But here commeth a visible signe also of the presence of the spirite that there myght be no doubt at all thereof For this is the maner and trade of God to declare by outwarde tokens the inwarde and spirituall giftes which are conceyued by fayth only and haue their beyng in the mynde The which by reason of the proportion and infallible truth of God wherof they are signes and seales vse to be called after the names of the things that they signifie By this meanes it commeth to passe that Luke reasonyng of the tongues which sate vpon the Apostles heades so speaketh of them as though the spirite him selfe had syt on their heades But it is euident that these tongues were neither essentially the holy ghost nor yet had the holy ghost included in them For who wyll say the substaunce of the holy ghost is of fire except any man list to dote with the Persians which worshipped the fire as a god Who also wyll thinke the holy ghost whiche pierceth through all thinges and whom the scripture teacheth to be euery where present can be inclosed in so small a thyng as a tongue Besydes Luke saith not that the holy ghost sate on their heades but that their mindes were fylled with the holy ghost And the holy ghost shoulde in vayne syt vpon our crownes onlesse he entred into our mindes shewed foorth his power and efficacie Therfore the tongues were tokens of the presence of the holy spirite neither coulde the name of holy ghoste for any other cause be applyed to them than by reason of proportion and similitude that is betweene them as euen nowe was sayde Furthermore as in all other signes whiche God accustometh to vse there is perceaued to be a great lykenesse with the thinges that they signified so here also the presence of the spirite coulde by no other signe haue bene more euidently and properly expressed The lykenesse of tongues was most agreable with the Apostles office whom God had appoynted to be preachers The diuision of the same tongues represented the gift which they chiefly had neede of bicause they must beare witnesse of Christe in all Countries and be vnderstanded of all men And the element of fire signified that the voyce of the Apostles shoulde be effectuous through the workyng of the spirite For by this the spirite as by a bright brenning fire consumeth all the thinges in vs that are carnall and earthly By the same the spirite kindleth the myndes of men with the loue of heauenly thinges that leauing all earthly thinges behinde them they may aspire to the onely eternall goodes of the heauenly kingdome With this the holy ghost warmeth men that are benummed with sinne and maketh them meete and nimble to all good workes and to doe all thinges in Christe And this feruencie and fierie zeale is the proper marke of them which are led with the spirite of Christ Which spirit who so euer feeleth to be quenched in him let him ceasse to glorie in the spirit I coulde here rehearse diuers other effects of Christes spirite but that there is more commodious place to speake therof in the sermon folowyng where it shall be declared what the spirite wrought in the Apostles Let vs acknowledge the truth and goodnesse of Christ wherby he would thus prouide for his Church And let vs prepare our selues after the ensample of the Apostles that we also may be endued with the spirite of Christe and enflamed with the holye loue of God that being founde stoute in the duties of Christian life we may be taken for the true children of God and Coheyres of Iesus Christ to whom be blessing honour glorie and power for euer Amen The eleuenth Homelie AND they began to speake with other tongues euen as the same spirite gaue them vtteraunce There were dwellyng at Hierusalem Iewes deuout men out of euery nation of them that are vnder heauen When this was noysed about the multitude came togither and were astonied bicause that euery man hearde them speake with his owne language They wondred all and marueyled saying among themselues Beholde are not all these which speake of Galiley And howe heare we euery man his owne tongue wherin we were borne Parthyans and Medes and Elamytes and the inhabiters of Mesopotamia and of Iurie and of Capadocia of Pontus and Asia Phrygia and Pamphylia of Egypt and of the parties of Lybia which is beside Syren and straungers of Rome Iewes and Proselytes Greekes and Arabyans we haue hearde them speake in our owne tongues the great workes of god They were all amazed and wondred saying one to another what meaneth this Other mocked saying These men are full of newe wine ALthough the promises of our Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christe were first made to the Apostles and may seeme to belong to them onely Yet is it manyfest that the same are generall and to be extended to all them that doe beleue For as the Apostles bicause of their imperfection and other faultes had neede of the holy ghost and without the helpe of him could not discharge the office committed to them euen so we haue neede of the same spirite bicause if we be destitute of him we can neither order our life christianly nor holde the certainty of faith against the temptations of Satan Therfore the consideration of this present hystorie no man ought to thinke either vnprofitable or superfluous which both strongly mainteyneth the aucthoritie of the Apostolike doctrine also instructeth vs many other wayes For it teacheth vs howe we shoulde prepare our selues to receiue the spirite how we should iudge the spirites As touching the first was spokē yesterday The other may be learned by this presēt place For Luke goeth on in the discription of the hystory declareth the effectes of the holy ghost which he wrought aswel in the Apostles as in their hearers And beginnyng with the Apostles hee attributeth two thinges vnto them which they receyued by the operation of the holy ghost The first is that by and by after they had receyued the holy ghost they began to speake with straunge diuers tongues This is so great wonderful a myracle as I know not whether euer there happened a greater amongst men For who is ignoraunt how
see his owne sonne dye on the crosse than that we all shoulde be condemned Herein also appeareth the infallible truth of god For he that woulde not then deceyue vs when his sonnes lyfe was in hazarde howe shoulde he deceyue vs in other thinges This commendeth to vs besides the inuinsible omnipotencie of God which being couered with vile and mortall fleshe was able to vanquishe Sathan and all his power togither with sinne death the gates of hell This is an argument of his vnsearcheable wisedome whereby he coulde inuent such a remedie for the redeemyng of mankynde which both serued to set foorth the mercie of God and also satisfied the rigour of Gods iustice To conclude whosoeuer well marketh the thinges that fell out in Christe he hath euidently perceyued the maiestie of God as farre foorth as the same may be perceyued of vs lyuyng in this prison of the fleshe Therfore the Apostles are truely sayde to haue set foorth the great woonders of God when they preached Christ. Nowe this other effect of the holy ghost is to be extended to all true beleuers For as the Apostles which forsooke Christ not many dayes before by reason of feare and kept themselues close for feare with the doores shut about them assoone as they were endued with the holy ghost laying all feare asyde begyn to preache Christ openly and in that Citie that shed his blood and where Christes greatest enimies bare all the rule and feared not the multitude which was thyther gathered so whosoeuer that spirite inspireth he so boldneth them and freeth them from feare in the confession of Christ that they thinke it their duetie to be onely occupied in settyng foorth the glorie of Christ neither will they yeelde to any man which shal go about either by worldly entisementes or threates to bring them from their purpose It becommeth vs to labour for this gift of the spirite with all our possible power since it is euident that confession by no meanes can be seperated from true faith For it is the saying of Christ Whosoeuer shall confesse me before men him will I also confesse before my heauenly father And agayne Whosoeuer shal be ashamed of me and of my words before this adulterous and sinfull generation him shall the sonne of man be ashamed of when he shall come in the glorie of his father with the holy Angels Out of the which wordes Paule tooke this saying of his To beleue with the heart iustifieth and to acknowledge with the mouth maketh a man safe These sayinges the triflers of these dayes ought well to obserue which accompt the confession of faith amongst thinges indifferent as though it were sufficient to haue faith in the heart and no further vtteraunce of it to be required These men boast of their fayth but they are vtterly ignoraunt of the force and propertie thereof For the holy ghost is of necessitie ioyned with fayth which neither is idle himselfe nor suffereth those whom he enspireth to be idle And bicause he kindleth the mynde with the loue of Christe men beyng led foorth with that loue seeke Christ onlye haue him onlye in their mouth and folowe him onely through fire and water as they say therefore it were an absurde thing that they shoulde deny the name of Christ and fayth in him which haue tasted of his spirite And yf these mens iudgement shoulde preuayle then myght we iustly accuse all the Martyrs of follie and madnesse which offered themselues to most cruell torments wheras by dissembling they myght as these men woulde haue escaped them Howe much better dyd Iuliânus souldiers who perceyuyng that through the craft of the Emperour they had vnawares burned incense to the goddes published openly howe through ignoraunce they had erred and blemished fayth and thought best to defende the glorie of Christe which they seeme to haue preiudiced through errour with sufferyng of death But these our hygh wytted men thinke it a matter worthy pardon and commendation yea to be the greatest poynt of wisdome through their craftie dissimulation to treade downe the fayth of christ Surely it were better they were altogither key colde since they wyll not be whot But bicause they are but warme God wyll spewe them out of his mouth Nowe where we haue hytherto spoken of the Apostles and of the things which the holy ghost wrought in them it is meete at length we come vnto the thynges that happened among the hearers of the Apostles of whom Luke saith there was a great multitude by and by gathered togither There are many nations reckened and they diuers and farre distant one from an other which maketh for the settyng foorth of the myracle forasmuch as amongst so farre distant nations there coulde be no affinitie of speache or language To speake of the names situation originall manners of these nations is not my meanyng in this place bicause they may most commodiously be learned out of the Geographers bookes tables And of them all it is sayde in generall that they were amazed and astonied at this myracle and bolde speache of the Apostles This is a thyng commonly seene where the Gospel is preached For both good and bad are afrayde at the preaching thereof But this is an wholesome feare and amazednesse bicause they giue eare and greedily embrace the doctrine of saluation The wicked also are afrayde but their feare endeth in a beastly kynde of giddinesse and dulnesse which afterwarde they go about to put awaye with wicked scoffes and mockeries In this place we haue examples of both these kindes of amazednesse bicause Luke writeth that both kyndes of these hearers were present Therfore we wyll say somewhat of eche of them First it is sayde there were certayne godly and deuout men present beyng Iewes borne but dwellyng dispersed among diuers nations For it is euident by histories that there were diuers occasions of the Iewes dispersyon in the captiuitie of Babylon and from thence hytherwarde For the greatest part of them remayned amongst the Assyrians and would not vse the libertie graunted them by Cyrus to returne home Those that returned home the rage of Antiochus caused to scatter and the tyrannie of others of whome wee omit to speake any further In the meane season they that were most deuout vsed to come to Hierusalem at the feast dayes to be present at the sacrifices and holy assemblies instituted of God by the ministerie of Moyses Of which number there was not a fewe commen togither to whom Luke ascribeth the prayse of godlynesse and religion bicause they vsed godly meditations in the promises and preceptes of God and looked for the promised sauiour of the worlde with constant hope and trust This is a great argument of Gods goodnesse which amongst the Iewes scattered here and there by reason of their sinnes woulde reserue some remnauntes of his elect to be saued as he long before prophecied by his Prophete And of these he bringeth not a
be counted rather warmelings and cowardly forsakers of the standing and place that they are set in Howbeit in putting away the crime he neyther vseth a bare deniall onlye nor waywardly retorteth slaunder for slaunder but prooueth by arguments that it is false that they layde to theyr charge The first argument he taketh of circumstance of the time These be not sayth he as ye suppose drunken for it is but the thirde houre of the day For the auncient fathers vsed to account twelue howers in the day as may be gathered by the hystorie of the Gospell and prophane wryters also And bicause they beganne theyr count from the day spring or rising of the sunne this thirde hower must be referred to the morning and with vs in the summer time it may be called seauen or eight a clocke in the forenoone Peters argument therfore is of this sort They that are giuen to drunkennesse begin to banquet and bouse towarde euening or the beginning of the night But where it is nowe but morning we cannot of right be accused of drunkennesse But O happie state of those dayes when men might reason after this sort For although it be credible that manye were giuen aswell to drunkennesse as to other vices yet such was the honestie of that time that it was a shame to be drunken and those that were giuen to such drinking were drunken as Paule sayth in the night for feare of open shame In these dayes this argument should be of small force and authoritie where as they euery where now rule the rost which ryse earely to drinke wine as Esay complayneth of the vsage of his dayes Yea there be found amongst the Princes and Magistrates which forgetting the saying of Salomon ryse vp betymes to banquetting and ryot But what speake I of Princes seeing there be deuines not free from this vice I remember once being at the Sessions Imperiall where they went about to establishe a generall peace and to appoynt an vniforme religion through Germanie howe I sawe a deuine of great name and fame yea the standard bearer of the contrarie part that sayde he woulde not dispute of so weightie a matter when he was sober And he was so constant of his worde that I sawe him not so fewe tymes as once well whitteled by one of the clocke But would God there were not to be found euen among them of our owne profession which being infected with this publike and common euill of all Germanie were not giuen to much to this quassing And surely if there were none other argument apparaunt this one were ynough to reprooue the corrupt maners of these dayes For who can denie but the dayes of Noah and Lot be amongst vs where with one mouth all men talke of their cuppes and to be drunken is accounted with all states and degrees a commendable and an honourable matter This vice wee may thanke not onely for corruption of good maners but also for the ouerthrow of iustice and lawes and the decay of religion and oppression of the libertie of our countrie But returne we to Peters Sermon who taketh an other argument of thinges spoken long before to acquite the Apostles of suspition of drunkennesse For where euen the good also might iustly meruaile howe vnlearned men shoulde sodenly come to speake such diuers languages and to bee expert in them and the wicked and mockers imputed it to drunkennesse it was needefull the truth of the matter shoulde be more openly declared Therefore Peter teacheth that this was the worke of the holy ghost the sending of whome he prooueth by the .2 of Ioel to haue beene promised long before in the kingdome of the Messias This Ioel prophecied in the time of Esay and Micheas and forewarned the people of the warres that Sennacherib should make agaynst them And least the godly should despayre and thinke that God had left off to care for his people any more he comforteth them and sheweth how Israell shoulde not quite be destroyed bycause the Messias should be borne of that people whome God had ordeyned to be the Sauiour and redeemer of mankinde and for the more comfort of them describeth in fewe woordes the kingdome of the Messias Which place Peter the more diligently and at large cyteth for that he woulde accuse them of doltishnesse and lacke of witte which ascribed the most manifest effectes of the holye ghost to drunkennesse For this was a most filthie errour not to marke and obserue so great a benefite of God and that promised so long agone and most diligently described but to raile at it This place giueth vs three things to consider The first prophecieth of the plentifull and liberall pouring out of the holy ghost which should be in the tyme of christ The other describeth the troublesome estate of this worlde in the kingdome of Christ insomuch that it reckoneth vp the punishments wherewith God will reuenge the vnthankfulnesse and incredulitie of the worlde The thirde declareth the maner of saluation and sheweth the way howe men may escape safely all daungers But at this present we will declare onely the first part This the Lorde in these wordes vttereth by the Prophete And it shall come to passe in the latter dayes sayth the Lorde that I will poure out of my spirite vpon all flesh And your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie And your yong men shall see visions and your olde men shall dreame dreames And on my seruaunts and on my handmaydens I will poure out of my spirite in those dayes and they shall prophecie These wordes are by themselues plaine and euident ynough yet are they more deepely to be considered bycause of the things comprehended in them seruing to our instruction The first thing to be obserued in them is that where the Prophete prophecieth of the kingdome of Christ amongst the great and singuler benefites bestowed on vs by Christ he chiefly commendeth the gift of the holy ghost The cause thereof seemeth to me was not for that the holy Prophete eyther was ignoraunt of other thinges or despised them but bicause next after Christ there can nothing be giuen vs of God more excellent than that spirite of Christ which here is spoken of For our heauenly father hath inclosed in Christ his sonne all the treasures of his grace and of our saluation But men are regenerated by his holy spirite to become the sonnes of God and heyres of the goodes which Christ hath purchased vs Which regeneration is so necessarie for vs that vnlesse we be renued by the same we cannot as Christ testifieth see the kingdome of God. The same spirite illuminateth our mindes to vnderstande the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen and kindleth in vs the desire of them Without the which light the naturall man cannot perceyue the thinges belonging to the spirite of God. This spirite is a comforter by whome we being incouraged are able to abide and ouercome whatsoeuer aduersitie in this
worlde betydeth vs for Christes sake And he doth not onely the part of a comforter but is also a most faythfull counsaylour For he telleth vs what to doe and when we be in perplexitie and doubt he lighteth vs the torch of truth by whose conducting we escape the daungers of fayth and ofsaluation Beside all this he is the earnest and sure pledge of our redemption and saluation For as Iesus Christ taking vp into heauen the fleshe that he tooke of vs would haue it there to be a gage of our saluation so he putteth his spirite in our heartes in steede of a pledge to imprint the confidence of saluation in vs and to arme vs strongly agaynst temptations Wherefore he is called of Paule the spirite of adoption because that being regenerated by him we are assured by his testimonie that we be the sonnes and heyres of god Therefore it is not without a cause that the Prophete taketh the gift of this holy spirite amongst all other most to be commended We are also here taught what we ought chiefly to doe in the kingdome of christ In which place we may see the diuers and noysome errours of men which while they followe carnall things onely and vnder the coulour of Christ gape after worldly goodes vse many tymes to denie Christ in their life whome they professe with their mouth And to these shall be ioyned those to whome hereafter it shall be sayde Not euerie one that sayth vnto me Lorde Lorde shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Christes kingdome is a spirituall kingdome and not of this world Therefore let vs desire the giftes of the spirite wherewith if we be furnished the other things that we haue neede of shall come of their owne accord Moreouer it is conuenient we see the maner of this promise and to whome it apperteyneth He declareth the maner in this one word of pouring out whereby he promiseth a large and plentifull grace of the spirite As touching the persons to whome he will giue it he treateth more at large saying I will poure out of my spirite vpon all fleshe Therefore this is an vniuersall promise But he addeth for expositions sake sonnes and daughters yong men and olde to teach vs that there is no difference in the kingdome of Christ eyther of age or sexe For in Christ as Paule sayth there is neyther Iewe nor Gentyle neyther bonde nor free neyther man nor woman In the meane season least any might thinke that the holy spirite was giuen to good and bad alyke God restrayneth his promise to his seruauntes and handmaydens to the ende we should vnderstande that it ought vniuersally to be expounded of them For where he is the spirite of adoption he can be receyued of none but of them whō God doth vouchsafe to acknowledge for his sonnes But they be sonnes of God which acknowledge him to be their father and call vpon him which serue him which worship him which please him and honour him And although they cannot performe the things that belong to the sonnes of God before they be regenerated by this spirite through the free benefit of God and therforethey be oftentimes vnknowne to vs before we see the effects of the holy ghost in them yet it is euident that none be partakers of this spirite but such as the Lorde taketh for his And he knoweth who be his and so knoweth them that no man can take them out of his hande And here by the waye commeth the difference of the olde and newe Testament to be considered For although one and the same Christ one and the same fayth and way of saluation one and the same spirite is set forth in both of them yet there may be perceyued no little difference wherein easily appeareth howe much greater our dignitie and felicitie is than theirs of the olde Testament This appeareth first in the number of the faythfull and next in the maner of teaching For in the olde Testament it is plaine there were but a small number of worshippers and the knowledge of saluation seemed to be compassed within the boundes of the people of Iurie For the wordes of God be well knowne which he sayth to the Israelites Ye shall be mine owne aboue all Nations For all the earth is mine Ye shall bee vnto me a kingdome of priestes and an holy people Againe You only haue I accepted of all the Nations on the earth For which cause sake me thinketh that is also spoken in the Psalmes In Iewrie is God knowne his name is great in Israell At Salem is his Tabernacle and his dwelling in Syon Hee sheweth his worde vnto Iacob his statutes and ordinaunces vnto Israell Hee hath not dealt so with any Nation neyther haue the heathen knowledge of his lawes But in the newe Testament the spirite of the Lorde is poured vppon all fleshe and the way of saluation is stretched to the farthest endes of the earth There it is sayde that they shall come from the East and from the West that shall sitte in the kingdome of God with Abraham Isaac and Iacob There the Apostles receyue a commaundement to preache the Gospell to all Nations There Peter learneth vs howe there is no respect of persons wyth God but in all Nations they that feare him and worke righteousnesse are accepted of him And here is fulfilled that which was spoken before by the Prophete That the barren and desolate should haue more children than shee that was maryed ▪ Againe though there be singuler examples of the faythfull of the olde Testament the like whereof you shall hardly finde in these dayes yet is it plaine that the way and meane of our saluation is now much more manifestly taught than it was woont to be in the olde Testament Before the lawe was published there were in deede large and liberall promises but obscure ynough if we waye them that liued in those dayes which sawe them not as then fulfilled In the lawe our saluation was shadowed with signes and figures but such as whereof many tooke occasion to establishe the righteousnesse of workes Then followed the Prophetes and they declare the mysteryes of Christ somewhere darckely and somewhere more plainely and openly And the thinges which seeme to vs most euident in their writinges seemed without doubt to them in those dayes obscure and darke ynough But in the new Testament the vayle of darcknesse is rent and that light brought in which being come giueth light to all men in the worlde In the Gospell the things are plainely taught which before tyme were hidden and secrete And there fishers and Publicanes see and heare those things which many Prophetes and iust men desired in tymes past to heare and see As touching this plentifull and bounteous gift of the holye ghost and true light thereof Ioel also prophecieth The ende and vse of
vs. And the sonne himselfe bindeth his promise to vs by an othe as often as he repeateth that verilye I saye vnto you so much vsed in the Gospell These things serue much for our comfort and instruction we are taught to make much of Christ and not to despyse the saluation which commeth by his merite and is offered vs by preaching of the Gospell as he commaunded In time passed as Paule sayth they which had transgressed the lawe of Moyses dyed without mercye vnder twoo or three witnesses How much sorer shall he be punished which treadeth vnder foote the sonne of God and counteth the bloude of the newe Testament as an vnholy thing c. And Iohn the Apostle admonisheth vs earnestly hereof saying if wee receyue the witnesse of men the witnesse of God is greater which he testified of his sonne He that beleueth in the sonne of God hath the witnesse in himselfe He that beleeueth not God hath made him a lyer bicause he beleeued not the recorde that God gaue of his sonne c. But what can be more horrible than to accuse God of a lye which is both eternall truth and also may so easily reuenge the contempt of himselfe Furthermore these things comfort vs asmuch in the conflict of temptations Satan many times goeth about to call the certaintie of our saluation into doubt But if we consider howe the same is sealed and confirmed as it were by an othe our fayth can not wauer For God is true and his worde endureth for euer But Peter returneth to Christ and prooueth that in him whatsoeuer things Dauid before times prophecied of the Messias are fulfilled The end of all his sayings is that men shoulde vnderstande howe Iesus of Nazareth was the sauiour of the worlde that was promised And of a manye of things which he might haue alledged he speaketh only of the resurrection and ascention bicause these two sufficed his purpose and serued chiefely for the present cause and controuersie which rose by sending of the holy ghost We shall speake of eche of them in order He reherseth the article of the resurrection to prooue Christ to be the sauior promised which argumēt Paule vseth also Of Peters words we may frame this argument Dauid a great while sithens prophecied of the Messias that neither his soule should long abide with the other soules of them that were departed nor that his bodye should suffer corruption bicause God woulde rayse him from death But this prophecie is fulfilled in Iesus of Nazareth Ergo it is manifest that Iesus of Nazareth is the Messias and sauiour Touching the Maior there is no doubt Therefore Peter laboureth in proouing the Minor the veritie whereof he confirmeth by the common testimonye of the Apostles of this thing sayth he wee bee all witnesses Neyther might these witnesses in whome there were such euident tokens of the holy ghost and of Gods working be easily reiected or contemned of men in their right wittes The Apostles vse oftentimes to prooue Christ to be our sauiour by his resurrection bicause Satan through death which happened by reason of sinne had the rule and Lordship ouer vs Neyther coulde we safely acknowledge Christ to be our sauiour except we were certaine that he had subdued the force of death In the meane season we must diligently consider the loyaltie and trustynesse of Peter and the other Apostles The Lorde chose them to be his witnesses as we sayde in the first Chapter They therefore perfourme the dutie of witnesses faithfully and boldly without all feare of any perill For in the citie of Ierusalem before a great assembly of people they testifie that Iesus is risen againe from the deade by the power of God yet was there a farre other rumor spred abrode in that citie For the souldiers as is declared in the last of Mathew being bribed with money by the Priests bare witnesse that the Disciples by night had stollen the body of Iesus awaye What a daungerous matter it was openly to gainesay these men euerye one may easily iudge seeing they had the authoritie of the Priests and of Pylate the Romaine President to defende them But the Apostles by faith in Christ ouercame all feare of daunger and left all men an example to follow which haue the testimonie of Iesus Christ committed vnto them The other argument whereby he prooueth Iesus to be the Messias promised he taketh of Christes ascention And this argument it seemeth hee vseth chiefely bicause of them which might thinke it a ridiculous matter to preach him to be a sauiour which coulde be seene no where amongst men Which also is the error of thē in these dayes who thinke him not a sauiour vnlesse he will shew himselfe bodily vnto them But Peter speaketh on this maner He being exalted by the right hande of God and hauing receyued of the father the promise of the holy ghost hath shed foorth this gift which you see and heare This saying seemeth the obscurer bicause for the breuitie thereof it cannot be perceyued wherevnto it is to be referred But the obscuritie is easily put awaye if we ioyne therewith the Oracle which Dauid vttered touching Christes ascention For of this Oracle and those thinges that Peter sayth we may frame an whole argument after this sort Dauid prophecied that Christ shoulde not only rise againe from the deade but also taught vs that he shoulde ascende into heauen For so he sayth Thou art gone vp on high thou hast led captiuitie captiue and hast giuen giftes vnto men This thing as also the other before is fulfilled in christ For he after he was risen againe being exalted by the mighty right hande of God ascended vp into heauen we looking on and poured vppon vs the spirite which he obteyned of God the father which spirit hath wrought in vs these giftes of tongues which you doe see and heare Therefore it is manifest that this is the Messias Further no man must be offended for that he saith Christ receyued the spirite of his father as though he were not of lyke power with the father For Peter speaketh this of Christs humanity wherin Christ confesseth that his father is greater than he Although in an other place againe he saith his father and he bee both one that is to say in respect of his diuinitie And Christ himselfe very trimly looseth this knot speaking of the sending of the holy ghost in this wise He shall glorifie me for he shall receyue of mine and shall shewe vnto you All thinges whatsoeuer the father hath are mine Therefore sayde I vnto you that he shall take of mine and shew vnto you c. When the comforter is come whom I will sende vnto you from the father euen the spirite of truth which proceedeth of the father hee shall testifie of me c. But least any man might suppose that the things spoken of Christes ascention were to be vnderstanded of Dauid or would call
spirite for diuers weightie causes vrged Peter to paint them out by these names First where they despised the faith of Abraham which only maketh vs the children of God and in the meane season chalenged to themselues the names of his children they ought not to be taken for any such Next bicause their authoritie was great with all men for that they were in an office long before appointed of God and gloried in that they successed most holye men it was needefull they should be reprooued and knowne vnto all men for swarâ—ers from them least anye man should be deceyued with their glorious styles and vaunt of their succession Therefore Peter doth wisely godlily and boldly in calling them a naughty and peruerse generation For in so doing he both admonisheth vs that they ought to be auoyded and putteth the simple out of feare and doubt which thought it an heynous matter openly to forsake them By Peters example we also in these dayes are taught what to doe A great many suppose a bare and simple knowledge of the truth is sufficient whereof they vse marueylously to glory â–ª amonge those that are desirous of the truth And yet they are still conuersaunt with the wicked and with the professed enimies of Christ yea they keepe company with the authors of false doctrine and can not abide that the Ministers of the Gospell should openly reprooue them But it is plaine that Peter the Apostle was of a farre other iudgement who would haue the faithful separate themselues from the wicked and feareth not to note deceyuours by the name of an vntowarde generation contrary to the common opinion of all the people He tooke example of Christ so to doe which euery where biddeth vs to eschue false teachers and teacheth vs that their company is pernicious and hurtfull The same the other Apostles also did as it is manifest which thought not they had done their dutie to point at the false teachers of their dayes with their fingers but also warned vs of them whome by inspiration of the holy spirite they knewe shoulde come in the later age of the worlde whereof we haue testimonies 1. Timoth. 4. 2 Timoth. 3. and .4 2. Thess. 2. 1. Iohn 2. and .4 Therefore whosoeuer hath in these dayes the ministery of the Gospell committed to him let him imitate the faithfulnesse and diligence of these men Bicause it is euident the sheepe are so foolishe that they can scarse beware of the Woolfe when they are warned yea for hope of a little lucre they will creepe into the mouthes of them Let them therefore paint out in their colours and terme by their true and proper names all these deceyuers and take no regarde to them which for priuate gaine hold with them Let other also learne to obey their faythfull aduertisementes and to flie the professed enimies of Christ whose company if they auoyde not they can not be taken for the members of christ Let them at the least be mooued with feare of the daunger which we knowe hangeth both ouer their heades and them that follow them For they that refuse to come forth of Babilon the mother of whoredome shal taste of those plagues also which the Lorde hath ordeyned for hir We haue therefore Peters counsell touching the waye of saluation wherevnto Luke ioyneth the notable successe that followed thereof For he sayth that they that gladlye embraced his preaching were baptized and the same day there were added vnto them about three thousande soules The godly writer in marueylous breuitie comprehendeth a great matter For here is fulfilled that that Christ sayde vnto Peter when he was called to be an Apostle Hereafter thou shalt take men on lyue For he which a little before was but a rude fisher letting slippe the nette of the Gospell bringeth three thousande people vnto the obedience of the faith in Christ who both gladly receyued his preaching and willingly continued in the same This place teacheth vs two things very needefull to be knowne First we learne that godly and faithfulfull ministers doe neuer preach the worde of God in vaine although many things seeme to stoppe and hinder the course thereof This the Lorde witnesseth by his Prophete Lyke as the rayne and snowe commeth downe from heauen and returneth not thither agayne but watreth the earth maketh it fruitefull and greene that it maye giue corne to the sower and breade to him that eateth so the worde also that commeth out of my mouth shall not turne agayne voyde vnto mee but shall accomplishe my will and prosper in the thing whereto I sende it We haue in this matter a moste manifest example hereof where we maye also see things that might hinder the profite and fruite of Gods worde A people of nature rebellious and stubborne such as Moyses the Prophetes describe and set forth As many as were of any power authoritie wâ—â—e enimies to the doctrine Great daunger and perill in receyuing the doctrine of the Gospell bicause before this as many as followed Christ were excommunicated The Apostles were rude contemned and despised persons yet the worde of the moste high God driuen lyke a shower or storme with hys winde or breath which as Christ sayth bloweth where it liketh bursteth through all these stoppes and impediments This ought to comfort vs in this age that we despayre not of Christes Church and the successe therof notwithstanding we see so diuers enterprises and attemptes euery where busily bent and ment against the same Next we are taught what the nature of faith is and what the propertie of Gods elect people is For here are two thinges ascribed vnto them One is that they gladly embraced Peters sermon For where the mindes of those that beleeue are drawne with the spirite of God they streyght way knowe his voyce and the chiefe shepeheards and follow it Neither haue they any greater pleasure than in the study of the worde of God wherein they vnderstande that that most mercifull father and the onelye author of saluation talketh with them The other is that Luke sayeth they continued in the same which is as necessarie a propertie as the first For Christ sayeth He that abydeth vnto the ende shall be safe But hee that setteth his hande to the plough and looketh backwarde is not meete nor woorthy of the kingdome of God. If we compare these thinges with the maners of our age it wyll easily appeare how vnhappy an age it is For with many and continuall sermons can very fewe be woonne vnto christ And we maye see euen in them that haue professed Christ eyther a negligent contempt of Gods worde or else some detestable lightnesse whereby vpon euery trifling occasion they dishonestly starte from the truth that they haue knowne and professed But let vs returne to Luke which in fewe words setteth out the forme of the primitiue Church the maners the rites and the exercises of the same the chiefe
out of Paule we declared Christ blesseth vs as he is a priest For it was the Priestes office to blesse the people as Moyses teacheth Numer 6. Although there is great difference betweene them Christ for they were ministers only of the figure and shadowe Christ doth not only wishe vs good but also giueth it and in him God blesseth vs with all spirituall blessing as Paule teacheth Ephe. 1. But Peter addeth the maner also of this blessing saying whyle he turneth euery man from his wickednesse For where of sinnnes the curse springeth there can be no place for blessing afore sinne be taken awaye Nowe Christ taketh them awaye yea he hath long sithence clensed them by the merite of his death for which cause the Baptist calleth him the lambe of God that taketh awaye the sinnes of the worlde He taketh not sinne away fo◠one time only but conuerteth all them frō their sinnes that beleeue in him For where he giueth them his spirite they be regenerated and renewed by him so that they which before were giuen to the bondage of sinne doe cast of the yoake of sinne and liue vnto God and beginne to serue him in studie of innocencie and charitie Whereby we gather that they are greatly deceyued which imagine Christ to be a patrone of carnall libertie and saye that by preaching of him we plant carelesse lyfe in the mindes of men Certainlye Christ came into the worlde to destroye the workes of the deuill But among these workes sinne hath the chiefe place as there is none that can denie Nay rather if we will confesse the truth there can be in vs no true turning from sinne but such as Christ is author of through his spirite according to that saying of Ieremie Conuert thou me and I shall be conuerted Agayne Turne thou vs vnto thee O Lord and so shall we be turned Furthermore before we make an ende we haue to be obserued that the Iewes abounding in so many prerogatiues dignities as both here and else where are declared in the .ix. to the Romaines receiued no cōmodity by any of them all but were forsaken of God for that through stubborne incredulitie they contemned Christ and despised the preaching of the gospell whereof Paule intreateth at large Rom. 11. Therfore all externe things are but vaine except we embrace Christ with true fayth who onely conuerteth vs from sinnes purgeth our sinnes reconcileth vs to God and maketh vs inheritors of the kingdome of heauen This Christ hath Peter in his sermon taught them and sheweth them that in him the treasure of saluation is opened vnto them notwithstanding it might seeme they were fallen from saluation and the grace of god Let vs therfore thinke these things spoken also vnto vs and labour to become the true members of Christ and to be quickened with his spirite that hereafter we may raigne with him in heauen to whome be prayse honour glory and power for euer Amen The fourth chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .xxvj. Homelie AS they spake vnto the people the Priestes and the Rulers of the Temple and the Saduceys came vpon them taking it grieuously that they taught the people and preached in Iesus the resurrection from death And they laide handes vpon them and put them in holde vntill the next day for it was now euentyde Howbeit many of them which hearde the wordes beleeued and the number of the men was about fiue thousande HItherto Luke hath described the beginning and successe of the primitiue church There haue we seene what the doctrine of the Apostles was which they deliuered vnto the Church also what the studies and exercises of the primitiue Church were Nowe herevnto is most commodiously adioyned how the worlde receyued this doctrine where we shall see howe the very same thing fell out that Christ before that shewed his Apostles of For in Iohn he sayth The seruant is not greater than his Maister If they haue persecuted me they will persecute you also If they haue kept my saying they will keepe yours Againe They shall deliuer you vp to the Councels and shall scourge you in their sinagoges And these things they whom God had hitherto kept safe from the furie of their enimies vntill the beginning of his Church myght be stablished and settled a little surer beginne nowe to finde true But nowe most fierce enimies sodenlye rushe in vppon them they take and cast them into prison they bring them to examination before the Counsayle and at length being vexed with long disceptation and reasoning they dismisse them with grieuous threates We must in all this narration marke this one thing chiefely aboue all other which shall serue much for our consolation and instruction that is not to be offended at the attempts of the wicked wherewith in these dayes they oppugne the doctrine of Christ and his Church For this worlde whose propertie it is to hate and persecute the light of the truth bicause it bewrayeth their naughtie doings vseth of olde thus for to doe Here it behooueth vs to be armed with the constancie of the primitiue Church that we leaue not our place when we are assaulted but that we wayte for an happie ende and successe of such temptation with a stronge and inuincible fayth which God graunteth vnto them whome he seeth tried and made the better vnder the crosse But bicause we shall haue occasion oftentimes to speake of these things let it suffice vs to haue touched this little hereof least we lose the marke whereto all these things must be directed Nowe we shall discusse euery part and circumstance of the things that Luke hath sayde He describeth who were the Apostles enimies and authors of their persecution what craftes and deceite they vsed what cloke they had for their wicked and vniust enterprise howe violently they layde handes on the Apostles and howe vaine their attempt was bicause through their furie the number of the faythfull were rather increased than diminished Among the enimies of the Apostles there are three kindes of men rehearced The first are Priestes whome by the circumstaunces we may easilye gather were the ringleaders and beginners of all this businesse Howbeit it had bene their partes rather to haue taken vppon them the defence of the truth and to haue preached Christ vnto the people of whome Moyses and the Prophetes bare witnesse After these followeth the Ruler of the Temple who by all likelyhoode was some Capitaine of the Romaine souldiors For where the Temple stoode in the most impregnable place of the Citie and was well fenced with munition I suppose the Romaynes gaue the Presidentes of Iurie a speciall charge thereof least the Iewes vnder colour of religion and holy assemblies shoulde mooue any insurrection or sedition And vndoubtedly the Capitaine of the Temple brought with him his garde or souldiors which alwayes attended on his seruice were at his commaundement There was a thirde kinde of men
for their faithfull endeuour and godlynesse and not to be offended if the like also fall out vpon vs. But least we shoulde haue any iust occasion to be offended the Euangelist teacheth vs how little the wicked with all their tyrannie preuayled against Christ and his Church Many sayth he of them that heard the words beleeued and the number of the men was about fiue thousande What shoulde we here first saye or marueyle at O brethren The vnspeakable power of God or the woonderfull constancie and boldenesse of the faythfull of that time Here appeareth the inuincible power of Christ which doth not only scatter the counsell of his enimies but also turneth it vpside downe which Dauid once prophecied he should doe They go about to stoppe the course of the Gospell and by feare to pull men from the Church of Christ. But they are so deceyued that rather maye be perceyued a marueylous fruite of the Gospell and newe scholers are added vnto the Church of Christ. This is the perpetuall condicion of the Church that by persecutions it encreaseth The same came to passe longe agone in Babylon what time the kinges of Assiria and Persia did set forth God and his religion Under the Romaine Emperours the whoter the persecution was the more there were that thought it a goodlye matter to confesse Christ with their bloude This is it that Dauid sayth Christ shall reigne or beare rule in the middle of his enimies Let vs followe the boldenesse of the primitiue Church and not be feared with the crosse or rage of persecutors They shewe crueltie but vppon our bodies and that no further than God permitteth but vppon our soule they haue no power at all They binde the Preachers of the worde and the faithfull hearers but the worde of God cannot be bounde For the spirite of the Lorde bloweth not where the worlde will but where it selfe will. Further he is greater that worketh in vs than he that so rageth in the worlde Christ worketh in vs through whose comfort we are able to doe all things He is a strong and faithfull shepeherde which will not suffer his sheepe to be taken from him He hath prepared for vs a place in heauen to the which it becommeth vs by the crosse and all maner of tribulations to come that we may liue with him and reigne in the house of his father To whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xxvij. Homelie AND it came to passe on the morowe that their Rulers and Elders and Scribes and Annas the chiefe priest and Caiphas and Iohn and Alexander and as many as were of the kinred of the high priestes gathered togither at Ierusalem And when they had set them before them they asked By what power or in what name haue you done this Then Peter full of the holye ghost sayde vnto them you Rulers of the people and Elders of Israel if we this daye be examined of the good deede that we haue done to the sicke man by what meanes he is made whole Be it knowen vnto you all and to all the people of Israell that by the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth whome you crucified whome God raysed vp againe from death euen by him doth this man stande here present before you whole This is the stone which was cast awaye of you builders which is become the chiefe of the corner Neyther is there saluation in any other For amonge men vnder heauen there is giuen none other name wherein we must be saued ALthough our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ according to his promises neuer fayleth those which embrace him with true fayth yet hee chiefly succoureth them when they are persecuted of their enimies and finde no helpe in man wherevnto to leane And then he comforteth them not onely with his spirite but also sheweth them what to doe and to saye This present hystorie giueth vs an example hereof whyle the wyse men and of greatest power in the world after the worlds iudgement be ouercome and shamefully confounded by Christes Apostles being but vnlearned men and of no estimation We haue seene howe the Apostles were had to prison bicause they tooke vpon them the office of preaching and taught howe Christ was risen from death being not licensed thereto of the Bishops But now Luke declareth how they handled Christes cause before the counsell at Ierusalem which place as well for many other skilles as for this chiefely is notable bicause it containeth the craftynesse of the enimies of truth and an example of a counsell of Bishops assembled against the truth He beginneth with the benche of the Iudges which he painteth out with a diligent rehearsall of all them that were gathered togither not only bicause we should vnderstande who and what maner of men were assembled but also that we might perceyue howe the enimies of truth trust more in the authoritie and power of men than in any thing else It came to passe sayde he that their Rulers and Elders and Scribes of Hierusalem c. Whatsoeuer was of any excellencie or authoritie among the Iewes he comprehendeth in three degrees They are Rulers to whome the Romaines had committed the gouernaunce of such thinges as chiefely concerned the constitutions and rules of Iurie wherein they differed from others The Elders were the state of the Senators as appeareth by other places of the Scripture The Scribes are they which attributed to themselues the knowledge of the lawe and the Scriptures and who had the keeping of the publike writings and recordes And not contented to haue rehearsed these degrees he reciteth also the names of certaine other of most authoritie amongest them that is to saye Annas who seemeth here to be the high Priest not bicause he was then Bishop for the hystories report that Caiphas was this yeare Bishop but bicause he had bene Bishop before then Caiphas Iohn and Alexander wherevnto afterwarde he ioyneth all those that were of the high Priests kinred Now if you consider well this bench you shall perceiue there was nothing at that present of greater honour For they whose power was of most authoritie with the Romaine Presidentes were all assembled togither They also were there to whome the publike administration of the Church was committed And they whose name and fame for learning and doctrine was greatest among the people were there But herein stoode the chiefe poynt of all others that these degrees of men were instituted of God and commended for the succession of about a thousande and fiue hundred yeares if we count from the departure of the children of Israel out of Egypt or from the time that Aaron was Byshop vntill the dayes of Christ and his Apostles And in deede they might call themselues the successors of Aaron Eleazar Abiathar Iehosuah and others to whome there is no small prayse attributed in the Scriptures With these men are the Apostles coped yea they are brought before them
and accused being at that time taken for the most abiect and despised men of all others hauing neyther nobilitie of birth renoume of succession neyther any other worldly dignitie or honor to commende them of and at whome many men were offended bicause of that slaunderous punishment of the crosse which Christ their maister and teacher suffered Yet the ende of this Tragedie sheweth howe they had the ouerhande of all these persons And let no man thinke it straunge to see such a sort and such maner of men come togither against the Preachers of the truth bicause the Euangelistes manye times shewe vs the reason thereof For where they were ledde with the desire of ambition and priuate lucre and had corrupted the doctrine of truth with the traditions of men and had turned godlynesse into lucre and gaine they were not able to abide the light of the truth the hatred whereof had armed them before against Christ and euen now pricketh them forward to ioyne agaynst the Apostles speedilye to make awaye with them like men that would vtterly quench some great fire begūne in a Citie The consideration hereof in the meane while serueth for our instruction For first we learne that no man ought to be offended at the power and authoritie of Christes enimies so that he eyther dishonestly be afrayde of them or else through any preposterous reuerence submit himselfe and Gods religion to their iudgement For as God can easilye defende those that be his against all the power of the worlde so is there no dignitie of man able to preiudice or countermaunde his worde The Byshops of Rome in these dayes challenge such an authoritie vnto them and imperiouslye inough require men to obey the decrees of their Counsels Their chiefe argumentes are that they sit in Peters chaire that they succeede in the roume of the Apostles that their power is confirmed by the authoritie of Kinges Princes And to graunt them these thinges which yet they falsely chalenge to themselues all these things we maye see here in the Iewes as erewhile we declared Yet for all that the Apostles doe not yeelde to them bicause they had long before swarued and gone out of kinde in that they had both corrupted the true doctrine made outwarde religion their priuate lucre and had openly persecuted Goddes veritie and truth Therefore where our case in these dayes is like why may not we doe as the Apostles did Neyther are they to be regarded which promise themselues I wote not what great commoditie of these mennes counsayles An euill tree cannot bring foorth good fruite And what goodnesse can they establishe which persecute the worde of God and studie both daye and night to establishe their tyrannie And who in their iudgementes haue longe agone condemned vs and haue none whome they stande in awe of They woulde haue the truth oppressed the light whereof they cannot abide Therefore whosoeuer woulde haue the truth betrayed let him commit the iudgement of doctrine and religion to these men But great is the blindenesse of our dayes whereby it commeth to passe that a great many both wittingly and willingly submit not onely religion but also all their goodes and the libertie of their Countrie to the insatiable lust of a sort of ambicious Prelates But it shall be good for vs to consider the question which the Iewishe Priestes vse against the Apostles being brought before them The same is comprehended in fewe wordes for that they woulde seeme to speake with authoritie and to fraye them with a vaine shewe of dignitie For they say By what power or in what name haue you done this These wordes seeme to haue some shewe of godly zeale For they will seeme by vertue of their office to demaund this thing as to whom it belonged to see that the people shoulde not be seduced eyther with false doctrine or false myracles Nowbeit in deede they demaunde it to trie if they coulde take any holde of their wordes whereby to accuse them which craft they many times also practised agaynst christ For what neede had they to demaund that thing againe wherof the Apostles before in the temple had rendred so euident a reason or had they forgotten that Iesus Christ through his owne power wrought myracles and the Apostles long before that in his name Therfore their desire was not to learne the truth but subtillye by craft to circumuent the vnwarie They are like the demaundes of them which now a dayes aske our men where they learned their newe doctrine by what authoritie they sowe new opinions and reforme their Churches Nowbeit we haue long sithence rendred a reason hereof whereof they are not ignorant Therefore it is a farre other thing than the desire of truth that these men be ledde with nay their whole drift and fetch is to catch some occasion or holde of some worde which might vnawares escape vs to accuse vs of Therefore we ought to suspect all such Counsels and deuises and as Christ taught vs to vse the wisedome of the serpent in auoyding them And we must not be afrayde of their craft seeing Christ hath promised vs his spirite wherewith Peter being prompted aunswered with great boldenesse of minde Peters aunswere consisteth of two partes whereof the one answereth the Iudges question and the other preacheth christ The first part he handleth with marueylous prudencie For before he sheweth that Christ is the author of the myracle he grauely reprehendeth their vnrighteousnesse and preposterous iudgement Yet not defrauding them of the honour due vnto magistrates by Gods commaundement least he might seeme to speake of corrupt affection or of ticklenesse of tongue Thus he sayth Ye rulers of the people and Elders of Israell if we this daye be examined of the good deede that wee haue done to the sicke man by what meanes hee is made whole bee it knowne vnto you all c. He seemeth thus to saye we marueyled trulye wherefore we were yesterdaye caried to the prison and what fault we had made that you so earnestly searched for For where it is the Magistrates dutie to enquire after malefactors and euill doers and we by our selues knewe none euill that we had committed we coulde not choose but marueyle much at your doing But as farre as we nowe can perceyue we are called before you for a benefite and good deede that we haue bestowed vpon a poore and pitifull man This seemeth me to be the sense of Peters woordes And in these thinges we haue painted out a plaine portraiture of the enimies of the truth by whose iudgement they only are in fault that only seeke to serue christ For howe many thinke we were then in Hierusalem which by craft lying slaundering vsurie extortion open force and manslaughter had hurt and hindered a many of men how many which through false doctrine superstition blasphemie and infinite other wickednesses had prouoked the wrath of God yet none of them were called Coram Neither could these notable
be extolled thought good to doe lyke as he did yet bicause he was couetous meaning to prouide for neâ—de that afterwarde might ensue he priuily withholdeth a part of the price for his and his wiues necessities seeking yet to be accounted in the number of those which had giuen all they had vnto the Church Many other things be annexed with this fault which aggrauate the heynousnesse thereof For to saye nothing of the ambicion and couetousnesse which tossed the vnhappy minde of this hypocrite as it were with contrarie waues it is manifest that he was distrustfull and altogither voyde of fayth which is the beginning of all mischiefe For he distrusted the promises of Christ who sayth that he will alwayes helpe his Church and will abundantly prouide those that be his of meate drink and cloth Which promises if he had beleeued he woulde neyther haue feared penurie following nor by craft haue made prouision for the time to come To this distrust was ioyned the great contempt of God such as Dauid ascribeth to them which in their harts say either there is no God or else perswade themselues he regardeth not what becommeth of men and supposed he had only to doe with men which is the propertie of all hypocrites For it is not like that he durst thus haue done if he had beleeued that God had bene the beholder of our thoughts and deedes Beside this he committed sacriledge in his owne goodes For where he woulde haue men beleeue that he had giuen all the money he receyued for his lande to the Church he thereby plainly confessed that it was due to the Church Wherefore he cannot auoide the blotte of sacriledge And where afterward all they which had giuen their goodes to the reliefe of the Church were founde of the Church treasurie and money it was a sacrylegall collusion whereby hee ment to deceiue the Church in ioyning himselfe to them whom the Church gaue liuing vnto So full of euill is distrust and vnbeliefe and such newe vices spring therof continually So Ananias is a president of all false Christians who meane so to professe Christ that it shall neuer be to their losse or hinderance For when they see Christ hath set vp his kingdome in any nation and doubt of the continuance thereof they will consent and agree to the present reformation but they will well beware of giuing any such counsayle as may be occasion of any losse to them when the Church fayleth or decayeth They go about to serue two maisters that is to saye Christ and the worlde which Christ himselfe sayth is impossible Yet such men moste commonly haue the greatest prayse of wisedome and modestie But in very deede they be Ananiases whose heart is not right with the Lorde although there appeare some benefites of theirs towards the Church These kinde of men beare the swaye nowe a dayes and woulde God they alone bare it For there is almost a greater number of such as beside they doe no good to the Church waxe riche of the church goodes and appropriate to them selues the things that other haue giuen who followe the example of Iudas which where he himselfe gaue nothing vnto Christ vsed to imbecill and pilfer awaye that that other did giue And not content with this wickednesse betrayed Christ also so that by his example we may learne what to looke for of such as he is Furthermore where in these dayes such men as these are in all places and will be taken commonly for Nurses and refourmers of the Church they go about by manye reasons to defende themselues and for the most part cloke their couetousnesse with the tranquilitie of the Church and common weale the lawes of man feaultyes donations and many such lyke But let vs heare the iudgement of the holy ghost pronounced by Peter the Apostle that thereby it may appeare what we maye iudge of them which in these dayes be worse than Ananias For Peter by releuation of the spirite perceyued thys guyle and howe great prayse so euer Ananias thinketh to get by his subtiltie yet he coulde not beguyle Peters spirite so â—rue the saying of Christ is that nothing is so secret but it â—hal be disclosed And the Apostle cloketh not the fault he espyed but most seuerely accuseth it By which example we are taught that Ministers must not onely openly accuse manifest faultes but also whatsoeuer the wicked go secretly about against the truth and church of christ For as it is the propertie of a good Capitayne not only to resist the open attemptes of his enimies but also to preuent and disclose their ambusshes and lyings in wayte so must Ministers of the worde fight wyth all encouragement agaynst all the enterprises of the wicked There is in Peters wordes a marueylous vehemencie and his saying ryseth as it were by certayne steps to the ende Ananias heynous fault might appeare the more First he detecteth the roote and beginning of all this euill saying Ananias how is it that Satan hath filled thine heart By the which wordes he declareth that he is destitute of all beliefe and a plaine reprobate The godly and elect are also tempted of Satan which runneth vp and downe alwaye seeking whome he may deuoure But for as much as they resist hym being strong in fayth he can not fyll their heartes The state of the wicked is of an other sort who after they be once fallen from the fayth are wholy possessed of Satan so that there is no more place left for the holy ghost in them We are also admonished that all hypocrites and as many as vse dissimulation in religion are the bondemen of Satan For Christ teacheth vs that he is the father of lying and by thys argument prooueth the Phariseys to be borne of the Deuill Where vnto the example of Iudas also may be referred into whom it is sayde that Satan entred after he had gone about by hys rooted hypocrisie to be guyle Christ and the Apostles as his last supper Furthermore Peter sheweth the effect of Satan where he sayth Ananias was brought to that poynt to lye vnto the holye ghost which may be vnderstanded two maner of wayes For partly he falsely fayned he was ledde by the holye ghost and partly he went about to beguyle the Church which he knewe hytherto by many arguments was endued wyth the holy ghost Both these meanings argue an impudent boldenesse in hym and declare howe farre men runne if once they suffer Satan to haue power ouer their mindes Thirdly drawing nearer to Ananias fact he accuseth him for that he had withdrawne a parte of the price of his lande Therefore he accuseth him of theft and sacriledge which as I shewed a little before we may commyt in our owne goodes And they are all partakers with Ananias which couetously conuert to their owne vse the goodes which they knowe are due to the poore or else ryotously waste and consume them We offende herein
shall any man take his sheepe out of hys hande And as the impious rage of the Priestes coulde not let God from exalting him with his right hande no more shall the wicked enterprises of Princes and the worlde in these dayes any maner of wayes hinder or empayre his kingdome and glory They shewe also the waye and meane howe Christ giueth saluation which all men must needes imbrace that are desyrous of their saluation This way or meane consisteth in two pointes to say repentaunce and forgiuenesse of sinnes of both which it is written Christ is the onely author That repentaunce is a conuersion and turning of the whole man vnto God hath manye times already beene declared This conuersion vnto God is necessarie for all men bicause we all through sinne haue gone astray and daylie swarue from the waye of saluation But that this is no worke of mans power or strength we are taught not onely by the scriptures but also by daylie experience and no man can be conuerted except he be conuerted of god See Ieremie 31. Lamentations 5. This conuersion Christ onely worketh truely in vs while he makes vs newe men by the seede of his worde and by the spirite of regeneration illuminating vs with the knowledge of God and enduing vs with a new and holy will and gyuing vs strength to doe that which of our owne power we should neuer be able to doe They are here confuted which hearing repentaunce required by and by thinke the merite of their owne righteousnesse is confirmed and extoll the power of free will. But what glorie we in our owne wyll if Christ be the author of this conuersion in vs And what I praye you shall we merite by our repentaunce which are not able to repent except Christ by his spirite stirre vs vp and leade vs thereto But although a man be conuerted vnto God yet herein is not our saluation perfite and full For where we be sinners we haue neede also of forgiuenesse and satisfaction that nothing want to satisfie Gods iustice But where we sayde euen now that we coulde not conuert vnto God vnlesse we were regenerated by Christ much lesse can we satisfy for our sinnes And Christ teacheth vs that our sinnes be such a debt as we are not able to pay Wherefore as in the first part Christ succoureth our infirmitie so in this also he helpeth vs For by the merite of his death he both purgeth the debt of our sinne and maketh vs iust in the sight of God whyle he bestoweth on vs that beleeue in him his iustice For therfore he became sinne for vs that we by his meanes should be that righteousnesse which before God is allowed And bicause both these things without the which no man can be saued come by the benefite of Christ onely we most strongly gather hereof that without Christ we haue no saluation which is the cause that he comprehending the summe of the gospell in fewe wordes teacheth that repentaunce and forgiuenesse of sinnes must be preached in his name In the meane whyle we learne also how much they erre which vnder a pretence of Christ seeke to lyue lycentiously or thinke he is any cause or occasion of dissolute conuersation where as he is the verie onely author of true and healthfull repentaunce Furthermore they confirme their preaching of Christ by testimonies where they say And we be witnesses of these wordes and also the holy ghost whom God hath giuen to them that obey him And let no man thinke it rashlye and insolently done of the Apostles to alleage their owne testimonie before them of whome they were accused For where Christ appointed them witnesses of his dooings they might not refuse to doe their dutie in this behalfe And hereby their doctrine was greatly authorised which no man by any meanes ought to denie except he will accuse Christ of falsehoode But bicause the Apostles were not ignoraunt that their testimonie should be of little weight before the Priestes they adde an other testimonie also to witte the testimonie of the holy ghost which holy ghost God giueth vnto them which be obedient vnto christ And although all the beleeuing feele his testimonie within their mindes and by the same be assertayned of their saluation yet chiefely these wordes be to be vnderstanded of the giftes and operation of the holy spirite whereby he bare wytnesse in the primitiue Church to the doctrine of the gospell For by the power of the holy ghost it came to passe that the faythfull spake with newe tongues that they sodainely became newe men and that they wrought myracles which things as we neede not in these dayes for as much as the Apostles doctrine is sufficiently prooued so testimonie of the holy ghost ought to suffise vs whereby we feele our minds confirmed and through whose encouragement we crye Abba father But this is not negligently to be passed ouer where he sayth the holy ghost is gyuen vnto them that obey christ And yet it must needes be that they were endued before this with the holye ghost bycause without hym they neyther could beleeue nor obey But in them the gift es of the spirite were augmented and increased as Chryst sayth To euery one that hath shall be gyuen Whereof we gather agayne that they cannot haue the holye ghost which striue agaynst christ For he confesseth that the holy ghost is such a thing as the worlde can not receaue Hereby it appeareth why the operations and giftes of the holy ghost be so rare and seldome in these dayes for thys cause verily bicause there be so fewe that endeuour to obey Christ. It becommeth vs by these examples to be stirred vp to the holy obedyence of fayth that being indued with the holy spirite we may go forwarde in all goodnesse and atteyne to saluation in Iesus Christ to whome be honour prayse power and glory for euer Amen The .xxxviij. Homelie WHEN they heard that they claue a sunder and sought meanes to slay them Then stoode there vp one in the counsell a Pharisey named Gamaliel a Doctour of lawe had in reputation among all the people and commaunded the Apostles to go a side a little space sayde vnto them Ye men of Israel take heede to your selues what ye intende to doe for before these dayes rose vp one Theudas bosting himselfe to whom resorted a number of men about a foure hundred which was slayne And they all which beleeued him were scattered abroad After this man was there one Iudas of Galyley in the dayes of the tribute and drew away much people after him He also perished and all euen as manye as harkened to him were scattered abroad And nowe I say vnto you refrayne your selues from these men and let them alone For if this counsell or this woorke be of men it will come to naught But and if it be of God ye can not destroy it least happily ye be found to striue against God. THe
such mischiefe become a praye for sedicious and wicked persons For who seeth not here that saying of Christ fulfilled I came in my fathers name and ye receyue me not If another come in his owne name him you will receyue Which thing we see coÌ„meth to passe also in these dayes For the nature of the worlde is incurable delighting and reioycing in seducers and deceyuers and hating the Ministers of the truth continually Therefore it commeth to passe by the iust iudgement of God that they taste of effectuall elusion and wittingly and willingly runne into destruction But let vs returne to Gamaliel to see how he vseth these examples For of these he gathereth the foundation of his sentence whose proposition or coÌ„clusion is abstayne from these men and let them alone Which to perswade them he bringeth his argument in fourme of a Dilemma in this wise This businesse wherof the Apostles whome you iudge worthy to die are ministers and stewards is eyther of God or of man But whether soeuer it be I think it good you absteyne from shedding their bloud For if it be of man and is gouerned none other waies than by mans counsayle it wil fall of it selfe as the examples of Theudas and Iudas within these few yeres passed abundantly declare Therfore what madnesse were it to incense and stirre vp the â—urie of the Commons to take that out of the waye which within a shorte space though no man set hande to it will fall to the grounde alone But if it be of God and be gouerned and ordered by him it cannot quayle by anye force or counsayle of man For what is man being but dust and ashes able to preuayle agaynst God Now the ende of this counsell must be diligently obserued the which whyle manye neglect they take occasion hereby of a most pernicious opinion whereby say they no attemptes be they neuer so wicked no errors be they neuer so blasphemous are by force to be kept vnder Whereof can followe none other thing but the ouerthrowe of all discipline aswell ciuill as Ecclesiasticall For the Magistrate shall carie his sworde in vayne And in vayne doth Paule appoynt such Ministers in the Church as shall not onely teache the truth but also be able to confute and conuince the gaynesayers Who will thinke that this so wyse a man ment to loose all the sinewes of Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall gouernement at once It appeareth rather he had this meaning to saue the Apostles from the furie of the Iudges and from present death which he sawe he shoulde most commodiously doe if he shewed them that they could not without manifest daunger conclude any extremitie agaynst them For eyther they must fall in daunger to Godwarde if the Apostles doctrine were true and they the ministers of God or else of the commons whose rage they were better to auoyde than to prouoke speciallye in such a matter as coulde not long stande if it were but mennes working Furthermore whether he vnderstoode the truth or not he yet seemeth ambiguous and doubtfull in his talke Therefore their case is of a farre other sort which being illuminated with the true knowledge of the truth ought by office to defende it and to roote out errors and wickednesse In the meane season this ought to be to vs as an Oracle that we learne Gods counsels can be hindered by no force of men but that mans counsell falleth of it selfe For God is eternall and immutable so is his worde eternall and can by no meanes be infringed And Dauid testifyeth that God scattereth the counselles of the Nations but establisheth his owne counsayle for euer We haue examples euerie where to prooue the same Saul long stryued against the counsell of God who had fully decreeed to make Dauid king of Israel But the more he stryued the lesse he perceyued he preuayled and founde an euill ende of his contending with god But chiefely this thing is to be applyed to matters of fayth and religion It is Gods counsell and decree that his sonne whome he begat from euerlasting should beare rule ouer his holy hill that is to say the church To him it was saide Sit thou on my right hand vntill I make thy foes thy footestoole Satan from the beginning of the world hath withstanded this deuise and counsell And in Abel whome for this cause we may call the first Martyr of Christ beganne this persecution which continued all the yeares following and yet to thys houre endureth But the kingdome of Christ and the Church endureth also bicause it is buylt vpon that rocke agaynst the which the gates of hell are not able to preuaile And if on the contrary side a man consider the vsage of the Gentiles and that monstrous Chaos of ydolatrie which most mightie Monarchies followed confirmed by space of manye yeares allowed by the consent almost of all people and nations assaulted at no tyme by force of any man he shall see it is fallen downe of it selfe and scattered abroade by the spirite and worde of christ The lyke reason is of the holy scripture which the Apostle calleth inspired of God. For if a man consider the prophane wryters their Bookes surely were in great estimation and had no enimies to make them away yet the most part of them are perished and scarce are the names of those bookes extant which in tymes past most riche kings sought with great diligence and bought full dearely as is reported of Ptolomeus Philadelphus and such other lyke But the holy bookes of Scripture so many tymes burned banished and hated of most mightie princes are yet forth comming and being almost translated into al tongues be in stead of maysters and teachers ouer all the worlde Let these thinges therefore serue for our instruction and comfort that we rashely doe nothing against God nor feare not the threatning decrees and ordynaunces of the world and of tyrannes against the kingdome of Christ. But let vs so acknowledge God for our reuenger and defender that we may faythfully serue him in buylding vp of his church according to our vocation as Coadiutours of Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor glory and power for euer Amen The .xxxix. Homelie AND to him agreed the other And when they had called the Apostles they bette them and commaunded that they should not speake in the name of Iesu and let them go And they departed from the counsell reioycing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for his name And daylie in the Temple and in euerye house they ceased not to teache and preache Iesus Christ. BIcause it is so ordeyned that all men of a certaine naturall instinct are desyrous of helth welth it can not be chosen but they must be much offended at aduersitie tribulation especially such as accustometh to ryse bycause of religion For it commeth to passe most times that men iudge of religion according to the effect and successe therof and
great and eternall deuyse and counsell of God concerning the redemption of mankind For Paule teacheth that we were chosen in him before the foundations of the worlde were layde And Peter sayth he was predestinate or foreordeyned from euerlasting that we shoulde be redeemed through his merit We must thinke it is not without a cause that he is sayd to haue appeared to Moyses For hereby it is euident that Christ tooke not his beginning when he was borne of the virgin Marie but that he was froÌ„ euerlasting yea and talked with the fathers in tymes past of such thinges as belonged to their saluation For although he yet was not incarnate and made man yet in his diuine power and goodnesse he coulde not choose but helpe and deliuer them of whom in the time appointed he ment to take his manhoode Therefore he sayth he was before Abraham and that Abraham sawe him And Daniel sawe in the Clowdes of heauen a Iudge lyke vnto the sonne of a man which came vnto the olde aged Furthermore Peter plainly confesseth that the Prophetes in tymes past were inspired with the spirite of Christ and so prophecied of things to come Therefore great is the temeritie of those which vtterly refuse all the olde Prophetes and say their bookes belong not at all vnto vs whereas both they were illuminated with Christes spirite and diuers and sundrye wayes bare witnesse of him See Iohn 5. Luc. 24. Lette vs rather acknowledge the goodnesse of God which in times past did vouchsafe to declare himself to the old fathers and by this meane woulde set forth vnto vs how to knowe the antiquitie and certaintie of our beliefe Furthermore Steuen diligently teacheth vs in what fourme and fashion Christ appeared vnto Moyses For he sayth the Aungell of the Lorde which was Christ appeared to Moyses in a flame of fire in a bushe This is the auncient guise vsage of God to talke with men in times past in some visible liknesse which men were not able to abide his godly nature and maiestie We haue examples euerywhere in the hystories of the Patriarches and Prophetes This causeth men to be attent and heedefull and to be in admiration of God which otherwise woulde carelesly contemne all godlynesse yet God for the most part tooke on him such formes and shapes as were most agreeable with the present affayres times and persons Which thing we also see done in this place For he woulde by a fiery bushe set before Moyses eyes the condicion and state of his people which were afflicted in Egypt They burned being incensed with the cruell tyrannie of Pharao but they were not consumed bicause the sonne of God was in the middle of them which at the time appoynted shoulde take his manhoode of the posteritie of them And this is the state of the Church in all ages in the consideration wherof it shal be profitable for vs often to be occupied It is like a bramble bushe a weake feeble flock but such as cannot easily be scattred abrode bicause thorowe faith it is most straightly knit and ioyned in Christ the heade thereof Therefore as husbandmen put fire vnto brambles and thornes cleauing one to another to burne them altogither so this worlde putteth the fire of persecution to the Church and with one fire goeth about to destroye it all at once And Christ suffereth this fire to be kindled bicause it is needefull this way to haue the fayth of his people to be tryed and the fleshe to be kept vnder and bridled yet he suffreth not his Church vtterly to be consumed but is himselfe in the middle thereof For he sayeth I will not leaue you comfortlesse I am with you vnto the ende of the worlde Hitherto belong whatsoeuer things God hath done for the defence of his Church since the beginning of the world Caine first set fire to it who though he killed his brother Abel yet he could not destroy his fayth and much lesse hinder God from raysing vp a freshe spring of his Church in Seth. Neyther after that could the mightie men which went before the floud any thing let but when they perished as they deserued God could marueylously preserue certaine remnaunts of his Church through the benefite of the Arke This bushe burned often also in the time of the Iudges but it was alwaye preserued by Gods aide and assistance It burned in Babylon from whence yet the Lorde brought it agayne and deliuered it It burned more than once after their returne from Babylon and at length when Antiochus reygned it seemed almost past recouerie when God raysed vp the Machabees who restored Gods religion and brought the people to their libertie agayne It burned after Christ was borne whole three hundred yeares almost vntill the time of Constantine the great Yet God neuer fayled it who is able to defende his people in the middle of the fire as he sometime did Daniels felowes It burneth euen at this day and there be euerywhere such as put firebrandes vnder it and inflame the mightyest Monarches of the worlde with hatred agaynst hir Yet shall they neuer preuayle so much as they woulde but shall feele the wrath of Gods vengeaunce in whose sight the death of those that be his is precious and will not suffer the bloude of hys belooued to be vnreuenged Yea whyle the persecuting tyraunts put fire vnder the Church they lyke drie woode are consumed with the fire of Gods iudgement the Church in the meane whyle abyding in the middle of the fire of persecution lyke a Leade or Cauldron where mettall tryers melt and get out golde and siluer See what is sayde of these similitudes Zacharie 12. and .13 But let vs come to his calling whereby he is restored to the office which he beganne to execute fortie yeares before This calling hath in it certaine pointes the consideration wherof is verie profitable First God declareth who hee is least Moses might doubt any thing of the certainetie of his vocation For he sayth to him as he was amazed with the sight of the bushe burning I am the God of thy fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac the God of Iacob It pleased God among many of his styles to vse this tytle chiefely to call to Moses remembraunce the couenaunt made with Abraham and the promises made long before vnto the fathers declaring thereby that he was not forgetfull of his couenaunt and promyses although he hytherto suffered the people to be afflicted By which example we are taught that in aduersitie we should chiefely haue respect to Gods promises which God can neyther forget nor fayle to perfouâ—me Yea we see the truth of Gods promises so infallible that God forsaketh not the deade whome he hath once taken to his tuition For hee is the Lorde both of lyfe and death Wherefore neyther lyfe nor death can seperate vs from the loue of god For whether we liue or die we be
the Lords And to this ende it is that he sayth he is the God of Abraham Isaac Iacob which yet were deade long before he thus spake And Christ by the same reason calleth Lazarus his friend being both dead and buryed Whervnto chiefely it appertayneth that Christ out of this place tooke a generall doctrine to confirme the resurrection of the deade and certaintie of eternall lyfe against the Sadduceyes cauillations Let vs therefore be occupyed in the meditation of this tytle as oft as feare of death ariseth in vs and we shall perceyue by and by that we shall be delyuered from all care and pensiuenesse But whereas Moses feared aswell with the sight of the burning bushe as with the voyce of God durst not come neere by and by he is tolde what he must doe For God sayth moreouer Put of thy shooes from thy feete for the place whereon thou standest is holy grounde So he sayth bicause of hys owne being there and for that he had appointed that place to set forth hys lawe in It is not without a cause that Steuen maketh mention of this precept for hereby he meaneth to admonishe the Iewes what God in tyme past requyred of Moses and what he also requyreth of vs nowe a dayes that is to saye neyther temple neyther leuiticall worshipping no colde ceremonies whether it be the bloud of Oxen or Goates but that we should purge our minds from beastly affections which are signifyed by the shooes and should be wholy ioyned to him by sinceritie of fayth and puritie of mindes For this is that true worshipping of God which Christ otherwheres sayth consisteth in spirite and in truth And herevnto belongeth his precept of washing the feete whereof we ought to haue greater respect than of any outwarde things We must also marke euery where howe all the scriptures testifie vnto vs that God is present in euery place and how daylie examples aboundantly prooue the same Last of all God openeth his intent and pleasure vnto Moses I haue sayth he perfitely seene the affliction of my people in Aegypt and haue heard their groning and am come downe to delyuer them Which words serue most aptly to Ste ens purpose For they declare that there was no desert in the Israelites for the which they ought to be delyuered and that God regarded nothing in them but their afflictions wherewith they were miserably troubled wherevpon it followeth that all the benefite of their deliuerie appertayneth to the meere grace of god Wee are also taught that God doth not neglect his people although he sometime seemeth so to doe He seeth their teares which Dauid sayth are put in a Bottle in his sight He heareth not onely their crie but also their groning bicause he searcheth the heart and the reynes And they that reade hystories finde examples euerywhere whereby it may easily be prooued Let this serue therefore to comfort vs when we are forsaken of false and vnkinde persons Let it also serue to instruct vs that we vnaduisedly afflict not those whome God hath so speciall a care of Hereto appertayneth that that is written concerning Wydowes fatherlesse and straungers crying vnto him And that that is written in Zacharie the second chap. He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye And chiefely let vs haue regarde that we giue our seâ—â—es wholy to that God which considering the miserie of all mankinde hath giuen vs his sonne Iesus Christ â–ª to be our deliuerer and reuenger to whome â—e prayse honor glorye and power for euer Amen The L. Homelie THIS Moses whome they forsooke saying who made thee a Ruler and a Iudge the same did God sende to bee a Ruler and a delyuerer by the handes of the Aungell which appeared to him in the bushe And the same brought them out shewing woonders and signes in Aegypt and in the redde Sea and in the wildernesse fortie yeares This is that Moses which sayde vnto the children of Israel A Prophet shall the Lorde your God rayse vp vnto you of your brethren like vnto mee him shall you heare ALthoughe Steuen taught none other waye of fayth and saluation than that that is founded vpon the merite of Iesus Christ the promised Sauiour to whome Moses and the Prophets beare witnesse yet he is accused that he teacheth a newe fayth and an erronious yea that he is a blasphemer of Moses and the fathers and goeth about to abolishe the fayth which they obserued and deliuered vs The same state was the worlde in then that in these daies it is where they that follow the fayth deliuered by the Apostles and sealed with the bloud of the Martyrs are accused as subuerters of auncient religion and condemners of the olde fathers But what we haue to doe in thys case Steuens example teacheth vs He reasoneth diligently and at large touching the beliefe of the fathers chiefely he cyteth the hystorie of Moses that by rehearsall therof he might shew partly how reuerently he iudged of Moses and partly prooue that he was no enimie to the auncient religion of the fathers although he taught them that those ceremonies were nowe to be put awaye without the which they well ynough serued God yea without the which Moses also pleased God and was aduaunced to so high dignitie and honor So the vnlearneder sort nowe a dayes must be taught what the beliefe and doctrine of the Martyrs was in time past and howe they were saued without those things whereabout now a daies is such bytter contention But after Steuen had brought his oration to the solempne vocation of Moses then prosecuteth he the same at length and entreth into the prayses of Moses and first testifyeth that he acknowledgeth all things in Moses that God bestowed vpon hym Then prooueth he hys doctrine of Iesus Christ by the testimonie of Moses whose meaning he sayth was not that the Israelites should stick in the lawe and ceremonies gyuen by him but that they should haue an eye to that especiall Prophet which God afterwarde should sende of whome he was but a signe and figure onely This is a notable place whereby we are taught that we must thinke and speake so reuerently of the ministerie vertues of the Saints that yet we leaue Iesus Christes honor whole to hymselfe who onely hath the preheminence in all those thinges that concerne the true worshypping of God and meane of our saluation First he begynneth with the office of Moses which was the most excellent thing that he could deuise For he sayth that God sent him to be a ruler and delyuerer of the people of Israell Thys thing he so proponeth that he hytteth them agayne in the teeth with the ingratitude of their fathers which vnworthily refused Moses laying to their charge how they contemned him in whome they so greatly bragged For he sayth Thys Moses whome they denyed saying who made thee a Ruler and a Iudge the same did God sende to be a
and clamor with vniust force wyth stones swordes firebrandes and whatsoeuer other instrumentes of the power of darckenesse With these we reade the Prophetes were in tymes past assaulted With such they disputed agaynst christ And the hystorie following will shewe howe they vsed the same agaynst the Apostles But bicause Christ hath many times giuen vs warning of these thinges we must not be offended at the same Let vs therefore be so prepared that they light not vpon vs vnawares and vnlooked for It is worthy of great obseruation and heede that whyle they rage most in violence and wrong yet they seeme to obserue a kinde of lawe and equitie For bicause they had accused him of blasphemie agaynst God and false doctrine therefore they gyue him the punishment appoynted of God for blasphemers and seducers And the witnesses as is prescribed in the law threwe the first stones at him which to doe with the more ease they put of their apparel and deliuer it vnto Saule to keepe who after he was conuerted vnto Christ was called Paule Therefore here wanteth nothing belonging to the forme of lawe And Steuen myght seeme iustly to haue suffered and according to the lawe But that is not alwayes lawfully done which hath a shewe of lawe and we must deepely wey the causes of punishments or else we shall grieuouslye erre in our iudgement In the meane season marke howe God sometime suffreth the wicked with whose rage he will haue his people exercised to fyll vp the measure of their wickednesse And by example of the witnesses we are taught howe farre impietie proceedeth if it be not stopped at the beginning They sinned in bearing of false wytnesse being neyther ignoraunt of the lawe of God neyther of the punishment appoynted for false wytnesses And they are not afrayde that Salomon sayth the Lorde hateth and vtterly abhorreth a false witnesse They are not yet contented to haue committed so horrible a fault but they go further and embrue their handes with innocent bloude where also they were not ignorant of that that is written in the lawe touching murtherers So true it is that Salomon sayth when the wicked are once ouer their shooes there is no hoe with them Let vs therefore feare the entycing beginnings of sinne least whyle they instill into vs an hatred to the worde of God we sticking fast in the toughe myer thereof be at length wholye swallowed vp of the great gulfe of vngodlynesse The things sayde of Saule who as it is written consented to the death of the holye man and receyued great pleasure therein make a waye and preparation to the hystorie following and for the setting forth of the glory of god But of these things more shall be sayde in their place It remayneth that we declare howe Steuen behaued himselfe when he was put to this cruell death where three thinges are tolde of him First he called vpon the Lorde which thing we beleeue he continually vsed to doe And it is expressed that he prayed in three wordes Lorde Iesu receyue my spirite These wordes haue in them the confession of a true fayth and an argument and token of a great and strong beliefe For being on euery side beset with the terrors of death yet he acknowledgeth and confesseth that Christ is his Sauiour folowing the example of the theefe crucified with Christ. Further he beleeueth that the soules dye not in death but passe to the state of a better life yea he knoweth that euen in death through fayth in Christ men fynde lyfe This is a great prayse of fayth that euen then it is inuincible and comforteth vs when all other helpes fayle Also Steuens example teacheth vs to whome to commende our soules when we be at the poynt of death Not to Saintes as the superstitious vse but vnto Christ our Lorde who as he hath redeemed them with the pryce of his bloude so by his resurrection he hath ouercome death and by his ascention into heauen hath prepared for vs a place in the which we shall be gathered vnto him Secondarily Steuen sheweth a token of charitie which can not be seperated from fayth For folowing the example and commaundement of Christ he prayeth for his enimies that God woulde not punishe them for their sinne as they deserued This reprooueth the wickednesse of his enimies which put him to death as an enimie of the common weale which witnesseth by his last wysh he made that no man was more desirous of all mennes welfare than he But this is the state of the vngodly in this worlde the chiefe cause of whose infelicitie is this that they neyther can knowe their benefactors nor beware of the most daungerous enimies of the publike weale Let vs learne to extende our charitie euen to the ingratefull and with godly prayers commende them to God which moste grieuously offende agaynst vs And let vs not suffer our selues to be feared with the wickednesse of men forasmuch as Gods iudgements be vnknown to vs and God lightly vseth not to reueale vnto euery man who they be that are incurable amongest men as we reade he did sometime vnto Ieremie 7.14.15 cap. Let vs also be stirred vppe with the effect of this prayer which the conuersion of Saule alone prooueth was not fruitelesse Last of all is sayd that Steuen hauing thus spoken fell on sleepe whom yet his enimies hoped now with his doctrine to haue now bene cleane dispatched out of the way The scripture oftentimes vseth this word slepe speaking of the death of the godly For so is the condicion propertie of death set forth Death is the resolution or dissolution of man consisting of soule and body In this death the soule neyther dyeth nor sleepeth but passeth into lyfe euerlasting as Christ sayth Iohn 5. Wherevpon death hath aptly bene called a passing into heauen The body is sayde to sleepe bicause it is layde in the earth as it were to sleepe out of the which in the latter daye it shall be raysed vp by Christ that it may also enioye the blysse of heauenly lyfe There are euerywhere testimonies of Scripture concerning these things and occasion shall serue oftentimes to intreate of the same Wherefore we nowe meane to be briefe Let vs set Steuen before vs to imitate that when we shall depart this lyfe our soules being gone before to the dwellings of the blessed and happy we being at the last gloriously raysed vp also in body may attayne to the inheritance of the kingdome of heauen through Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The eyght chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The .lvj. Homelie AT that tyme there was a great persecution agaynst the congregation which was at Hierusalem and they were all scattered abrode throughout the regions of Iurie and Samarie except the Apostles But deuout men dressed Steuen and made great lamentation ouer him As for Saule he made hauocke of the
that bodies are committed to the ground as seedes vnto the earth which afterward shall be raysed vp with more glory Howbeit it is like the holy men had an other consideration For while they decently bury him that was condemned by the sentence of the counsell they manifestly reproue the vnrighteousnesse of their aduersaries giue an euident testimony of the fayth which Steuen had preached Furthermore they declare how they reuerenced him whō they saw was so singular an instrumēt of christ And they are not like vnto those which now adays vse to let slip the raynes of an impotent vnbridled tonge against the ministers of the word by whose free speach and doctrine they see their enimies are incensed and so seeke after the bloud of the faithfull ministers of Christ deride their cōstancy boldnesse whom they ought to reuerence honor In the meane time we learne by this example what we owe to the bodies of the deade that is to say honest and comely buriall forasmuch as Paule sayeth our bodies be the Temples of the holy ghost We must in our buryinges vse no pryde or superstition wherin diuers faultes are now adayes committed For there are some which puffed vp with vanitie doe so forgette their mortall estate that they will after death also be prowde while they fasten the armes cognizances of vayne glory about their Tumbs There are other again which labour by Diriges and sacrifices to do away the sinnes of the dead or else after a peculiar sorte of ceremonie vse to canonize them and make them saintes wherof the one is peeuish and without example the other derogatory and repugnaunt vnto Christes merite and doctrine which teacheth vs that those that beleeue passe from death vnto lyfe and haue neede of no new expiacions Moreouer they make great lamentation ouer Steuen And that is not against the rule of Paule whiche forbiddeth vs we shoulde not mourne as the heathen do For they lament not as vncertaine doubtfull of Steuens estate but for that they see the wicked to haue such power and the church depriued of so excellent a Minister which might yet haue done very much good in setting forth the kingdome of christ Neither are they to be blamed which cannot by and by forget their friendes like men voyde of all humanitie and common sense but are enforced to weepe forasmuch as God hath not made vs blockes and the scripture euery where condemneth those that be destitute of naturall affections On this sort we reade Abraham bewayled Sara his wife Ioseph with his brethren Iacob their father the people of Israell Aaron Moses and Samuel wyth godly dutie Yea Christe when he sawe the two sisters mourne wepte for his belooued Lazarus In deede a meane must be kept lest we may be thought either to enuy the dead their heauenly felicitie or else to stande in doubte or not firmely to beleeue the inheritaunce of the same Last of all Luke setteth vs out a singuler example of tiranny that Saule vsed against the church wherin first the great crueltie of the tyranne next the vayne successe of his purpose and intent is to be considered Of this Saule it was sayd before that he consented to the death of Steuen and kept their clothes that stoned him wherby is signified that he was guiltie of innocent bloude But now he can not be satisfied with the tirannye of an vniuersall persecution but deuiseth a peculier way and goeth about vtterly to pull vp the church as it were by the rootes And he setteth not on them alone which openly professed the faith but bursteth into priuate houses and draweth out not onelye men but women also whome the infirmitie and weakenesse of sexe defended and putteth them in prison in so muche that certaine writers thinke not vnwittily the Oracle of a Woolfe that shoulde come out of the tribe of Beniamin ought to be applied vnto this Saule For he was in deede a rauenyng Woolfe which yet at length when he was conuerted distributed the wholesome spoyles of Euangelicall preachyng almost ouer the whole world And the thinges which Luke here reporteth of him he himselfe oftentimes confesseth yea he lamenteth hym of the same verye often See Actes 26. 1. Cor. 15. Galath 1. The vse of them all is that we shoulde acknowledge the goodnesse of God whiche did vouchsafe to take into his fauour so great an enimy For as he himselfe interpreteth the matter On hym would Iesus Christ shewe all long pacience to declare an example vnto them which should beleeue on him vnto eternall lyfe But what preuayled Saules great enterprise Coulde he make hauocke of the church Nothing lesse Yea he was the cause that they beyng scattered hither and thither spred the word of saluation kingdome of Christ the further Thus God knewe how to set forth the glorye of his sonne euen by those wayes which seemed most to hinder it Whervnto also is to be referred how the euill spirites in the gospell euen against their will brought before Christe and threw to the ground those whom they thought they had all power ouer Therefore their feare is foolishe which suffer themselues to be discouraged with the attemptes of tyrannes In the meane while we are aduertised of our dutie that we be not ouercome with persecutions nor forsake not our dutie by and by Which thyng diuers doe in these dayes who hauing bene once or twise in daunger make holyday for euer after as though they had fully discharged their dutie toward Christ already But they of whom Luke here speaketh do better which being driuen out of Ierusalem are by their banishment made the bolder and preach Christ euerywhere being myndfull of that sentence which sayth they shall be saued not which begin well but which continue vnto the ende Let vs therfore follow their zeale that after we haue faithfully finished this race of life we may attaine to the garland of the heauenly reward through Iesus Christ to whom be all praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lvij. Homelie THEN came Phillip into a Citie of Samarie and preached Christ vnto them And the people gaue heede vnto those thinges which Phillippe spake with one accord hearing and seyng the myracles which he did For vncleane spirites crying with lowde voyce came oute of many that were possessed of them And manye taken with palseyes and many that halted were healed And there was great ioye in that Citie But there was a certaine man called Simon which before tyme in the same Citie vsed witchcraft and bewitched the people of Samarie saying that he was a man that coulde doe great things whome they regarded from the least to the greatest saying this man is the power of God which is called great And hym they set much by bicause that of long tyme he had bewitched them with sorceries ALthough the Kingdome of Christ and the church is alway assaulted and set on by the
neglect the same if we will be saued But bicause hearing alone is not ynough for wicked men and spirites doe many times heare it behooueth that our mindes also be mooued and stirred This thing is brought to passe partly by outwarde thinges as we see here by signes and partly by the inwarde working of the holy spirite which working if we feele not it shall nothing profite vs to heare the outward preaching or reading of the worde as Paule diligently and plainely teacheth Howbeit when God reuealeth his worde to vs and pricketh our mindes by the inwarde suggestion of his holy spirite he requireth earnest attention and taking heede least we let the infernall birdes eate vp the seedes out of our minde or suffer the same to be choked with thornes or to be troden vnder of naughtie affections which thing Christ hath faithfully warned vs of Whosoeuer therefore after this sort proceede in the businesse of saluation as we reade the Samaritanes here did they shall quickely receyue great profite thereby And if we compare these things with our doings we shall perceyue what answere to make them who marueyle how it commeth to passe that so few profit by the preaching of the word For who is it almost that stumbleth not as they say at the thressholde or in the beginning We see fewe hearers of the worde at the Church and they thinke they haue sufficiently done their dutie if they heare the Sermon vppon Sundaye onely And fewe there are that heare the same attentiuely and with desire to learne But fewest of all muse or meditate diligently of that they haue hearde In the meane season the naughtie affections of the fleshe beare rule euery where carying vs headlong vnto the blinde desires of the worlde Therefore how can it herein otherwyse come to passe than as in a fielde ouergrowne with thornes and full of stones except it be diligently â—ylled Let vs cast of this noysome sloth of mynde and followe the Samaritanes and then shall that fruite shortly ensue that Luke sayth they receyued For he sayeth There was great ioye in that Citie This is the fruite of fayth that vseth to spring of the feeling we haue of Gods reconcilement with vs For as the countenaunce of God being angry with vs doth vexe and trouble our mindes being feared with the conscience of our sinfulnesse so the doctrine of the Gospell which teacheth that God is reconcyled to vs in Iesus Christ his sonne doth marueylously cheere and recreate our spirites Therefore the Aungels when they tolde the shepeheardes how Christ was borne sayde that they brought them great ioye And that olde father Simeon filled with the feeling of this ioye desired to haue leaue to depart and to be deliuered from the prison of his body Paule also byddeth the Christians alwayes to reioyce bicause this ioye cannot be taken away by any aduersitie forasmuch as the godly vse to reioyce in afflictions as we sawe before in the Apostles which reioyced in that they were thought worthy for Christes sake to be scourged Therefore they are wicked and most vnkynde men that saye the Gospell is the cause of aduersitie and publike calamitie Wheras it is euident God sendeth such things bicause of mennes sinnes and disobedience But they are lyke vnto those which obiected the same vnto Ieremie saying that from the time he beganne to preache they felt all kyndes of distresse and miserie Furthermore to returne vnto Luke there fell out a great hindraunce vnto Christes kingdome thus luckily succeeding among the Samaritanes For Simon the sorcerer which long time had borne a swinge in that city had bewitched the miserable people with his magicall Artes. God would haue Philip his Apostles coped with this Merchant to thintent partly that we might knowe how there will be alway hypocrites in the Church at whose leuitie and falshoode no man shoulde be offended and partly that all men might knowe by an euident and infallible argument that the Apostles wrought their myracles by no magicall sleyghtes but by the power of God seeing that so famous a Magitian ouercome of them acknowledged in them a greater power than his was which power he thought he might with money haue purchased In lyke sort woulde God haue the Magitians of Egypt ioyne agaynst Moses Here it shall be profitable for vs diligently to consider euery person And first Philip sheweth vs a singuler example of valiaunt fayth For this Simon was no small hinderance vnto syncere doctrine bicause the errour of the Samaritanes was confirmed both with antiquitie and superstition For they did not onely thinke that Simon was indued with heauenly power but also they beleeued he was the very selfe power of god But Philip is feared neither with the iuglings of his Magicall enchauntments nor with the rooted error of the foolishe people but rather hath a respect to Christes comaundement who bade the Gospell shoulde also be preached in Samaria Let them followe such a minde as this whosoeuer haue any office committed vnto them whether they be publike or priuate persons For they must not be afrayde of Bugbeares which professe Christ whose power by so many arguments is prooued to be so great Let vs consider that he is stronger and greater that is in vs than he which rageth in the world This Simon is a notable ensample of a deceyuer whome a man might fitly compare with Baalam the false Prophet It is sayde that of long time he had bewitched the people of Samaria For being skilfull in Magicall sciences he shewed straunge woonders and chalenged to himselfe go dly honor calling himselfe not onely the great power of God but also God the father and the sonne and Helena his harlot the holy ghost as Epiphanius a most diligent searcher out of olde heresies hath written By this example we are taught that the Deuill is able to doe much by his Ministers not of his owne free power but by the permission of god For through Gods sufferaunce the Magitians of Egypt did handsomely imitate certayne of Moses myracles And the Witch at Saules request seemed to haue raysed vp Samuelles corpes out of the graue Wherewith may worthily be num bred the Oracles vttered long agone at Delphi or Pytheum although for the most part they were doubtfull in their signification Of lyke kynde are those things which we reade of Images whereof some haue spoken some haue gone out of their places and infinit others haue bene notable by reason of many myracles to say nothing of those which were manifest in the kingdome of Antichrist as Christ and his Apostles foretolde God permitteth these thinges by his iust iudgement partlye bicause of the wicked which deserue to be deceyued whereas they will not imbrace the truth as the examples of Pharao and Saule euidently prooue partlye for the elects sake whose faith must this waye be tryed that they maye learne to cleaue to the simple word of God and admit
discerned from others For as the sacraments be no vulgare or common tokens of Christes benefites and Gods grace so is there also no small vtilitie in them in that they separate the people of God from the worlde and knit them togither with the outwarde bande of Christian communion Which is the cause that where Peter before woulde haue the beleeuers to be baptized he by and by teacheth them also that they should saue themselues from that froward Nation And Paule by a like argument teacheth that it is not meete that they that haue bene partakers at the Lordes table should be also partakers at the sacrifices of Idolles Here by the way is the error of them reprooued which accompt the confession of fayth among thinges indifferent and suppose that the faythfull are to bee discerned from the world by none outwarde signe or marke Here also is the dotage of the Anabaptistes to be discussed who where they see in this and such like places fayth go before Baptisme would prooue hereby that the baptisme of children is condemned Howbeit this place maketh mention but such as were of full age which before were farre of and straungers from the people of God whome it should haue bene vnlawfull to haue receyued into the communion of the church and sacramentes without a confession of their faythe least they myght haue seemed to haue caste pearles vnto dogges and hogges But the matter is of a farre other sorte in infantes who being borne of Christian parentes doe manifestly appertaine to the kingdome of god For God in the couenaunt promiseth to be the God of our seede And Christ sayeth that the kyngdome of God belongeth vnto children and plainely testifieth that they haue fayth Yea Paule affirmeth that the children borne either of father or mother onely that is a christian are holy Now returneth Luke vnto Simon that we may vnderstand what he did when he perceyued the people fell from him and betooke themselues earnestly vnto christ First Luke sayth that he beleeued This me thinketh is not to be vnderstanded as though he counterfeyted altogither For it appeareth hys mynde was touched with some feeling of fayth in that he ioyned himselfe to Phillip as an inseparable companion and woondered in beholding the miracles and singuler giftes of the holy spirite Howbeit bicause he denied not himselfe and endeuoured not to forsake the flesh which is the true beginning of christendome his fayth was but temporall and for a season as Christ calleth it and therefore when the heate of persecution came it coulde not abide Here appeareth the great power of Iesus Christ which so easily taketh away the great impediment and hinderaunce that Simon was to the course of the Gospell and so subdueth this great Iuggeler so furnished with the sleightes of Satan that he which a little before had called himselfe the great power of God did now adhere and cleaue to Phillip being a straunger and one of small accompt or estimation Herevnto also belongeth it that otherwheres Christ driueth out Satan with little or no adoe so that it euidently appeareth he is the conqueror of Satan and most valiaunt reuenger of mankynde Further this is a singuler prayse of the Gospell through whose playne and simple preaching the subtile and crafty wisdome both of the world and of the Deuil is so scornefully confounded After this Simon is also baptized and becommeth a continuall companion of Philip. The chiefe cause whereof may seeme to be for that hee desired also to haue like power to worke such myracles as the thinges following declare Here we be taught that there shall be alway in the church false bretherne which shal either craftily counterfeyt the faith or else hauing it for a certaine space fall from it agayne For the Gospell is compared vnto a nette wherein are drawne vp as well naughty as good fishe Let no man therefore be offended if he perceyue himself at any tyme deceyued by such seeing that Christ had Iudas in hys company and Paule oftentymes complayneth hymselfe of false brethren Those men are ouer peeuish and vnpacient which being deceyued by one or two dispise therfore all other without difference and wyll not vouchsafe to take any other for a true christian and brother We are further taught by the example of Simon that the grace of God is not tyed to the sacramentes forasmuche as Simon receyued the signe of grace without the fruite And Paule although he confesse that the olde fathers receyued the same sacramentes that we doe yet sayth they pleased not God bicause they were voyde of fayth And it auayled not Iudas although he sate at the Lordes table and receyued the breade at Christes owne hande It is therfore fayth only which grafteth vs into Christ and maketh vs partakers of the giftes of God which are shadowed and represented to vs by the sacramentes Now forasmuch as we haue seene marueylous effects of the holy spirite flourishing in the Church of Ierusalem Luke teacheth vs that among the Samaritanes also the holy ghost shewed the like power and efficacy least any man myght thynke that the Church of the Gentyles was inferiour to the Iewes church He sayth these giftes were administred by the Apostles to the ende that the vnitie of the church might the more strongly fasten among the people which heretofore were of diuers myndes and at variaunce and discention For howe great a diuision of mindes was betweene the Iewes and the Samaritanes appeareth both in the fourth of Iohn otherwheres And the Iewes of a certayne prowde preiudice vsed to much to despise the people of Samary Therefore God thought good to vse the ministery of the Apostles herein that it might manifestly appeare there was but one fayth of Christ in all churches and that all the faythfull were quickened but with one spirite so that there was no difference of Nation in Christ. Luke sayth that Peter and Iohn were sent from Ierusalem who comming to Samaria prayde for them that had professed Christ that the holye ghost might be giuen vnto them also The cause of this doyng was for that the holy Ghost was as yet come vpon none of them but were only baptised in the name of christ Which place is not so to be vnderstanded as though the faythfull of the Samaritanes were hitherto vtterly voyde of the holy ghost For where they had fayth which is the gift and effect of the holy ghost and were through baptisme planted in Christ they coulde not be vtterly voyde of those benefites of Christ which by the holy Ghost are sealed in vs Which are the washing away of sinnes regeneration mortifying of the olde man adoption or taking into the children of god And the whole scripture testifieth that these thinges come none otherwise vnto vs than by the operation of the holy ghost And these are the common giftes of the holy ghost without the which no man can truly be called a christian Wherfore
soweth the seede of dissention among them by whose concorde and labour the peace and tranquilitie of the Church ought to be mainteyned Examples wherof we haue set forth in Core Moses enimie and in the often contentions of the Apostles the which Christ so many times and so earnestly repressed But the euill of discention might seeme but a tryfle although for the most part it be pernitious in the congregation if there were not a greater plague ensued that is to saye a wicked robbery and mart which ouerturneth all religion and vseth to plucke mennes myndes wholy from religion This thing is more euident in Simon than that it needeth long demonstration For assoone as he had taken ambition and couetousnesse to counsayle in matters of religion by and by he discendeth to spirituall merchandise and robberie But would God one Simon were herewith slaundered and that we eueriwhere sawe not others which offende more wickedly than he For after that a certayne earnest zeale and desire of religion had endowed the Church wyth great abundaunce of riches and that Byshops beganne to be had in reuerence and honor then beganne Simons not very syncere ledde with the spirite of ambition and couetousnesse by vnlawfull meanes to aspire to Byshopricks and cathedre dignities These afterwarde when they had gotten the supremacie deuised wayes how they might recouer againe that which they had spent in purchasing of voyces and hereof was hatched that slaunderous buying and selling of religious matters These beginninges may we thanke of selling of Sacramentes of buying of pardons of hyring of prayers merites of supererrogation gaynefull dispensations buying of buriall places and whatsoeuer like kinde of inuentions That a man may marueyle howe the chiefe Byshops of the Church are become so impudent to glory in the succession of Simon Peter and so manifestly bewraye themselues to be rather the successors of Simon Magus These men haue reygned many yeares in the Church vntill the Lorde with the whippe of hys worde began to driue them out And yet they repent not but being taken in their owne mischieuousnesse rather crye out still that they are the true and lawfull gouernours of the Church And yet we accuse not them onely but also lament that among the professors of the Gospell many times such plagues are to be founde For we see many come to the Gospell of none other minde but for that they woulde be fensed vnder this plausible colour and so most greedily inuade the Church goodes and most dishonestly abuse them And many times they meete with Ministers lyke vnto themselues who hauing gotten by vnlawfull meanes to haue the rule ouer Churches can neyther reprooue nor keepe vnder these raueners Therefore the spirit of Simon nowe a dayes stretcheth the boundes of his kingdome farre and neere which seemeth to me to be the greatest plague of the Church wherby it commeth to passe that they which are as faultie as are the Antichristians doe little preuayle by preaching of the Gospell But let vs see what Peter sayth who expostulateth with Simon This is both a most graue and sharpe expostulation and consisteth of two poynts First he accuseth his fault and denounceth what punishment it deserueth and figureth or fashioneth his saying with an imprecation or kynd of curse beginning on this wise Thy money sayth he perishe wyth thee that is to saye thou and thy cursed money perishe togither The Apostle beginneth on this sort not of moodynesse of minde or of any vnbrydeled affection of anger but mooued by the holye Ghost which woulde after this phrase and maner of speache vtter the heynousnesse of his wickednesse and punishement Therefore such imprecations as these must be referred vnto a certaine kynde of prophecying as we see diuers in the Psalmes and wrytings of the Prophetes But the grieuousnesse of his punishment is more amplified by the sentence next adioyned where he sayth Thou hast no part nor fellowship in this businesse By which wordes he declareth that he is vtterly excluded from all participation of spirituall giftes and excommunicated out of the Church of the Lorde And least Peter might seeme causelesse to vse any kynde of rage he addeth the cause of so cruell threates bycause thou hast thought that the gift of God maye be obtayned with money Which one thing abundantly declareth that thy hart is not right with God forasmuch as thou thinkest he is lyke vnto couetous merchaunts and vsurers Hereof is gathered a generall sentence whereby we are taught that no such are allowed before God as make vauntage and gaine of religion and vnder the colour of religion seeke their owne lucre We are taught also by Peters example with what zeale and feruencie of spirite â–ª Ministers ought to reprooue those which for filthie lucres sake distayne the glory of god They must so be handled that they maye vnderstande howe they haue horriblye sinned and deserued the grieuous punishment of eternall damnation For there is no place for modestie and meekenesse to be vsed where the glory of God is openly assaulted and where the gifts of Gods grace are made subiect to the gainefull pleasure of most couetous persons We reade therfore that Elizaeus vsed the lyke zeale towarde Giezi his naughtie seruant whom he sodeinly strake with the plague of leprosie bicause he required of Naaman the Assirian a rewarde for that health that was freelye giuen him of god And Iesus Christ a most perfite paterne of meekenesse was so mooued with that impious sale of holynesse that he layde hands on the authors of such wickednesse and draue them out of the Church with a whippe lyke impudent Dogges We may therefore iustly complayne of their iniustice in these dayes that say we offende agaynst the rules of Christian modestie and charitie when we accuse the Antichrist at Rome and his Creatures the Cardinals Bishops Monkes and Priestes which by reason of their wicked and prophane Fayer or Mart these many yeres haue caused Christes religion to be mocked and scorned of the Iewes and Turkes and yet to this daye haue no serious or earnest thought of any reformation or amendement notwithstanding they be euery where spoken against But it is the perpetuall and euerlasting decree of God appoynted by his Prophete that in his house there shoulde be no dwelling for Chanaanites that is to saye for such kinde of merchaunts Moreouer it is woorthy to be noted how Peter by a graue sentence condemneth not onely Simon but also Simons money Therfore what thing so euer serueth the wicked against the glory of GOD is accursed as well as they So that money wherwith kyng Balaac would haue hyred Balaam to haue hindred Gods appointment towarde his people is called the rewarde of iniquitie And the money for the which Iudas solde Christ appeareth to haue beene accursed bicause Iudas could neyther long enioy it neyther serued it the priestes for any other vse than to purchase them a perpetuall blot and memorie of their
the worde of fayth which wee preach For if thou acknowledge with thy mouth â–ª that Iesus is the Lords and beleeue in thine hart that God raysed him vp from death â–ª thou shalt be â—aâ—e For to beleeue with the heart iâ—stifieth and to acknowledge with the mouth maketh 〈…〉 Nowe when Philip had gotten of the Eunuch that he chiefly desired by and by without any â—ariaunce he went downe with him into the water and there baptiseth him Where we haue to consider howe baptisme is ministred in common water whether it were ryuer or fountayne as Ierome thinketh I knowe not Neyther is there any mention made of newe hallowing it or of salt sprinckled or of oyle or of exorcisme and many such like as the superstition of Popes in the ages following brought in For Philip knewe the example of Iohn which had baptised in the ryuer of Iordane He knewe also that by the ordinaunce of Christ all water was consecrated to the vse of baptisme and had no neede of newe purging and coniuring Away therfore with the wicked and peeuish inuentions of most bolde merchaunts which would haue religion to serue for priuate honour and gaine Yet I would none by these examples shoulde take occasion euery where to baptise in fountaynes or ryuers For as we confesse it may be godlily done if necessitie so require so where Churches be appoynted all things ought to be done decentlye and according to lawfull order least libertie bursting out into vnbrideled licence disturbe both discipline and vnitie of Churches It remayneth to tell of the ende of all this hystorie which comprehendeth the departure of Philip from the Eunuche which Luke sheweth was after a myraculous sort For when they came out of the water the spirite of the Lorde caught Philip and the Eunuch sawe him no more God woulde by this myracle confirme the fayth of the Eunuch For after this sort hee might vnderstande that nothing was done in all this businesse by chaunce but all things through the prouidence of god Let vs see what they both did after they were seperated Luke sayth the Eunuch helde on his way reioycing Then he complayned not of Philips so sodaine departure neyther carefully enquired after him and much lesse detested him as though he had beene some craftie Apostle or Iugler Hereof must be gathered no argument of any inconstant or vnkinde minde But whereas he was now indued with fayth and taught by the holy ghost who according to Christes promise brought all things to his minde and by his testimonie confirmed the doctrine of fayth which Philip had taught him Therefore he coulde easily settle and quiet hys minde By which example we learne that we must not so sticke to the ministers that when they are gone we must dispayre in matters of fayth and religion Let vs acknowledge them as Gods coadiutours and stewardes of the mysteries of God by whome he giueth vs fayth Againe let vs vnderstande that the spirite of Christ truely supplyeth the dutie of a Teacher and that Christ will not fayle vs although he sometime take them away to whom we knowe we are much bounden For Gods spirit can be bounde neyther to persons nor places but bloweth where him lyketh Moreouer the fruite of fayth which the Eunuch receyued is declared where Luke sayth He helde on his waye greatly reioycing So before hee wrote that great ioye was made in Samaria when Philip had preached the Gospell there The ioy of a faythfull minde must hereby be vnderstanded which vseth to spring of the peace and quiet of conscience For after Christ is receiued by fayth then man vnderstandeth that God the father is reconciled vnto him whose wrath and horrible iudgement he was before afrayde of And as that peace of God as Paule beareth witnesse passeth all vnderstanding so it chaseth from the minde all the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 it â—lâ—ereth the whole minde and maketh vs to be without all â—eaâ—e in the 〈◊〉 of all afflictions For this is the saying of all those that are faythfull â–ª If God bee with vs who can be agaynst vs Who shall lay any thing to the 〈◊〉 of Gods chosen â–ª It is God that iustifieth vs who is it that can condemne For they knowe that the gates of hell are not able to preuayle agaynst that liuelye rocke on whome they are buylded Therefore bicause the Eunuch had obtayned this suretie of a quiet minde he returneth home with greater ioye than if he had gotten the great treasure of kings or if he had returned to Candace with the triumph and victorie of the greatest enimies of Aethiopia For what ryches deserue to be compared with the treasures of the kingdome of heauen Or what victorie is there so great as that which the faithfull haue gotten by Iesus Christ against the deuill and hell If princes in these dayes were as desirous of this victorie as they are of the Kingdomes and vaine glorie of this worlde then would they also more reioyce and the worlde also should be in better case But let vs returne to Philip which was founde at Azotus and from thence passing a long by the sea coast preached the Gospell to all the Cities in these quarters vnto Caesarea where it seemeth he tooke house to dwell in bicause Paule hosted there as we maye see in the .xxj. Chapter You shall marke diligently the feruent and great desire that the men of the primitiue Church had to set forth the kingdome of christ For although Philip had traueyled greatly in conuerting Samaria and now might greatly haue gloried in conuerting the great man of Aethiopia yet he thinketh not he had done his duetie but enioyneth himselfe freshe labours and refuseth not to vndertake new daungers for Christes sake We see the lyke desire in Paule who hauing laboured more than all the Apostles yet holdeth on his course with great feruencie These things reprooue the slouth of our dayes where all sortes and states of men as soone as they haue borne a little brunt make holyday for any more they will doe as though it were at our disposition and libertie to start from the calling of God and the dutie committed to vs Furthermore these thinges teache vs howe vaine the enterprises of the wicked are agaynst the doctrine of christ For the more they rage the more the truth shineth and ouercommeth Yea in the tyme of persecution by their meanes and diligence it is most opened and set forth who before seemed dastardes and cowardes Hereof haue we an example in Philip of whom there was no mencion made almost while the Church was in quiet at Ierusalem but that we hearde he was numbred among the Deacons But now being become an outlaw and banished man he winneth Samaria vnto Christ he sendeth the Eunuch whome he conuerted into Aethiopia to be an Apostle and spreadeth the Gospell ouer all Iurie Thus vseth God to frustrate the attempts of his enimies Therefore no man ought
of the Prophete He sent out his worde and healed them They be also to vs in steade of fathers bicause through their ministerye we bee borne againe and made the sonnes and heyres of God as we reade Paule hath oftentimes inculcated And the Philosophers haue taught euen by the lawe of nature that children are neuer able to make their parentes amendes Who then is able to recompence him through whose labour and traueyle he is made the sonne of God and heire of the kingdome of heauen For the which cause the Prophetes vse to account faythfull teachers among the chiefe benefites of God as may be seene Psal. 147. Esay 30. Amos 2. Mich. 6. c. And Paule among the giftes of the holye ghost wherewith from aboue he adorneth his Church maketh mention chiefely of Pastors Teachers Prophetes Apostles and Euangelists But now a dayes men are growne to such vnthankfulnesse that they dare say Ministers are sent of the deuill and are the publike authors of all euill But they shal one daye haue teachers meete for them since they so vnthankfullye reiect the preaching of saluation Thirdly Cornelius promiseth Peter obedience and attention where he sayth Nowe therefore we are all here present before God to heare all thinges that are commaunded thee of God. These wordes are worthye of singuler consideration For they teach vs what maner of persons the hearers of the worde should be First he sayth they are present before god Therefore it behoueth all men that heare the worde of God in the Church to remember aboue all thinges that they stande in the presence of god For this is the saying of Christ He that heareth you heareth me And he promiseth that he will bee in the middle of them that are gathered togither in his name Moreouer he sayeth he is present with those that belong vnto him This is one other thing which the hearers shoulde remember namely that they haue neede of teaching and instruction and therefore it is vnmeete that they shoulde suffer their wittes at the Sermon time to be a wooll gathering For they that so doe receyue the word as Christ sayth into the way where it is destroyed of the birdes and can bring forth no fruite Finally Cornelius is ready to heare all the things that Peter hath to say from god Let vs thinke that the very same is required of vs also and let vs not be so bolde as to heare and embrace some things and to let passe other some which like not our appetites and fantasie If a man woulde compare these thinges wyth the vsage of our dayes alas what an horrible corruption shall he finde Many come togither but not as in the sight of God but much like vnto those of whome we reade in Ezechiel 33. chap. Further a man shall euerywhere heare such busie bodies who when they haue hearde the worde brag that they haue no neede of teaching and instruction But what a number is there of those which dare to controlle the worde of God and will haue such things preached whereof they hope to haue gayne and will commaunde the Ministers to silence if they speake any thing that dislyketh their affections or which the worlde cannot brooke Howbeit it were better the worde were not preached to them and they shall one daye feele that their wicked contempt shall beare witnesse agaynst them These things also admonish Peter of his dutie that he shoulde onely and freely preach the things which God had committed to him without any inuentions of his owne braine In the which the dutie of Ministers specially consisteth as hath already oftentimes bene declared Let vs set Cornelius before vs to imitate and followe that being enflamed with lyke desire of the worde we may worthilye receyue the doctrine of saluation and being therby regenerated may liue a godly life in Iesus Christ to whom be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxxiiij. Homelie THEN Peter opened his mouth and sayde Of a truth I perceyue that there is no respect of persons with God but in all people he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him you know the preaching that God sent vnto the children of Israell preaching peace by Iesu Christ which is Lorde ouer all things ALthough Cornelius hath sufficientlye heretofore declared his great desire to knowe the truth by godly prayer and holy fast yet he more euidently sheweth the same when he heard that Peter the Apostle was come vnto him and was ready to teach him For he confesseth that the Apostle is welcome vnto him and promiseth him that he will faithfully and obediently heare all that he had to say vnto him on Gods behalfe Which place teacheth vs what all they haue to doe which meane to heare the worde of God profitably Furthermore as Cornelius sheweth vs an example of a godly and diligent hearer so in him also it appeareth that a godly and feruent desire vnto the word cannot be without profite and good successe but according to the promise of Christ whosoeuer shall vnfeynedly seeke shall finde out the will of god For he that a little before stirred vp Peter by the oracle of an heauenly vision to go vnto Cornelius euen the same now also by the secret inspiration of his spirite stirreth vppe his minde to prepare himselfe with great grauitie and diligence to teach For so is ment by the opening of his mouth as already hath bene declared The argument of his Sermon is that men are purged and saued through Iesus Christ alone He vseth a very commodious order For it hath a beginning verye apt and meete to get good will and beneuolence bicause that he sheweth howe the doctrine of saluation belongeth also vnto the Gentyles Then in fewe wordes he comprehendeth the summe of the whole Gospell which shortly after he prosecuteth more at large by hystoricall narration confirming the same wyth testimonies both of the Prophetes and Apostles At length he declareth the marke and ende of all these things teaching vs that we become partakers as well of Christ as of the saluation giuen vs in him by fayth onely But at this time we meane to intreate but of the two first partes onely minding to speake of the other when time and oportunitie shall serue He frameth his beginning with an exclamation saying Of a truth I perceyue that with God there is no respect of persons c. The sense is that the Gospell and doctrine of saluation belongeth aswell to the Gentyles as to the Iewes Heretofore there was a great space and an high wall betweene the Iewes and the Gentyles For Paule writeth that the Gentyles were straungers from the common weale of Israel aliauntes from the testaments and couenantes without hope without Christ and without God. And he addeth that that maketh for the explication of this place but now by the meanes of Christ Iesu you which were sometime farre of are made nye by the
bloude of christ For he is our peace which hath made of both one and hath broken downe the wall that was a stoppe betweene vs. This Peter affirmeth with great grauity partly to make the hearers thinke well of him at whose saluation he enuied not after the maner of other Iewes and partly bicause they shoulde be the more diligent to heare those thinges which belonged to their saluation It shall be good to examine the wordes particulerly for our more comfort and instruction First by waye of an exclamation as we declared euen nowe he sayth of a truth or in dede I finde Which word declareth that he was before ignorant of this mysterie For being heretofore beguiled with the coÌ„mon errour of the Iewes and bewitched with the blind preiudice of the flesh he vsed to abhorre the Gentyles as menne prophane and abhominable before god But nowe by the heauenly vision the appearing of the Aungell and wordes of Cornelius he is taught another thing bicause he findeth in Cornelius words apparant tokens of a very Christian and regenerated mind Peters example teacheth vs that the Saintes sometime are ignoraunt of some things and therefore that we shoulde not beleeue the preiudice of our reason but that we shoulde diligently examine all thinges according to the rule of Gods worde Secondly he teacheth what he founde verily that God is no accepter of persons This word person declareth the outward shewe or appearance of man whereby he vseth eyther to be commended or contemned such as is Nobilitie high parentage riches honors Nation or Countrie basenesse of birth pouertie bondage and infinite such like The consideration whereof God commaundeth to be farre of from all Iudges bicause where these things take place there can be no vpright iudgement It can not be therefore that that thing is to be founde in God which he vseth to detest in men And surely the Scriptures euerywhere attribute this vnto God that he is mooued with no mannes kindred or stocke with no riches no pouertie no outwarde appearance no consideration of Countrie but sheweth himselfe iust and mercifull to all men alyke This thing is of great auayle in the cause of saluation For it serueth to our instruction that wee contemne no man by reason of these outwarde things forasmuch as it appeareth that God is not mooued herwith whose children we be and it comforteth men that are in affliction and of lowe degree when they heare that in Christ there is neyther bonde nor free Iewe nor Gentyle Scythian not Barbarous man nor woman rich nor poore See Galat. 3. Colos. 3. c. It maketh for the explication hereof that he streyght waye addeth what maner of men God accepteth in all kind of men least any man might thinke he gouerned things at all auentures For he addeth but in all people he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him He comprehendeth in two poyntes the whole lyfe of man such as God requireth of them that honor him For he percloseth all religion vnder the feare of God forasmuch as it is manifest that this feare cannot be without the knowledge of God nor without fayth and obedience By this worde righteousnesse he vnderstandeth that excellent vertue that giueth to euery man that that is his which is the best gouernor of mans whole lyfe and springeth out of the fountaynes of Christian charitie But if thou compare the corrupt nature of man with these thinges thou shalt perceyue that these thinges are not founde but in those people that are regenerate and that they cannot be attayned to without the grace of God and fayth in christ For howe shoulde they that are aliauntes from Christ please God by their outwarde workes seeing he is that onely mediatour in whome the father is well pleased Therfore they are greatly deceyued which of these wordes of Peter thinke the merit of mans righteousnesse may be established forasmuch as the grace of God onely is the cause efficient of those things that are here so highly commended Their error also is to be confuted which abusing this place affirme that euerye man may be saued in the religion of hys Nation whether he be Iewe or Turke so that being illuminated with some reuerence of God he seeke to accomplishe this common ryghteousnesse But Peters meaning in this place is farre other who rather goeth about to prooue that the doctrine of the Gospell wherby saluation in Christ is preached appertayneth to all men indifferently But I praye you what needeth it to be pubâ—ished to all men if saluation may be had without Christ This kinde of people of all other is moste pernicious who vnder the pretence of christian modestie bicause they wil not seeme to boldly to condemne any man do plainly extenuate the merit of Christ yea they call in doubt the righteousnesse of god his goodnesse wisedome truth whatsoeuer vertues besides are in god For if any man may be saued without Christ then it appeereth saluation must depend vpon our free wil zeale Then came Christ into the world in vayn then was he incarnated suffred died in vaine then rose he from the dead ascended into heauen in vayne And he shall be conuinced of a lie in that he said No man coÌ„meth to the father but by me Peter also shall be reproued as a lyer who according as the spirit of Christ did prompt him sayde there was no other name vnder heauen giuen vnto men in which they could be saued Furthermore who I pray you shal say that god the father is eyther iust or wise or true or mercifull which without very great cause woulde put his sonne to such bitter sorrowes and afflictions Away therefore with these men which whyle they will seeme modest adnihilate the mysteries of our religion Let vs obserue the ende and marke of Peters words and leaue them to whome the light of the Gospell hath not yet shined to the iudgement of God who if they be saued must needes be saued through the merit of Christ vnlesse we will be contumelious both against Christ God. Let vs come to the seconde part of this Sermon which in these words conteyneth the proposition or declaration of the whole matter ye know the preaching that God sent vnto the children of Israel preaching peace by Iesu Christ which is Lorde ouer all things Which wordes seeme vnto me thus to signifie I woulde not haue you O brethren to looke for anye newe or straunge matter For I purpose to intreate of such a matter as is nowe in euery mannes mouth the report whereof is vndoubtedly come euen vnto you that is howe God sent his sonne Iesus Christ which is coeternall with him and Lorde of all things vnto the children of Israel being made man of the Uirgin Marie and by him hath preached peace vnto them In these wordes doth Peter comprehende all the mysteries of Christ Iesu and of his Gospell which shortly after he dilateth more
plainely testified that our saluation is conteyned in Iesus Christ alone he nowe beginneth by narration of the historie more at large to explicate and dilate the same and that in such sort that it maye easilye appeare howe all the thinges that belong to the redeeming of mankynde are performed by Christ. He beginneth his narration with the time and place shewing where and when Christ began to be knowne Also he citeth them for witnesses of the things which fame long before had bruted so farre abrode least any man might iudge the hystorie to be vncertaine or doubtfull you sayth he know that word which was published ouer all Iurie and beganne in Galiley after the baptisme which Iohn preached It is not without a cause that he maketh mention of the place forasmuch as Esay sometime prophecied that Christ shoulde beginne to preach in Galiley as Mathew also hath noted in his .iiij. Chapter and Esay 9. And it seemeth he alleageth the time for none other cause saying this preaching beganne after the baptisme of Iohn bicause the Prophetes foreshewed that he shoulde be the first Minister of the new Testament and the forerunner of the promised Sauiour For that those things belong vnto him which are reade in Esay 40. of a voyce crying in the wildernesse and in Malachie of Elias appeareth by the writinges of the Euangelistes and by the testimonie of Christ himselfe in Mathewe the .xj. Chapter more manifest than needeth long demonstration They are therfore by this place confuted which denye that Iohn ought to be accounted among the Ministers of the Gospell Whereas it is playne that he bare witnesse of Christ and sent his Disciples of fayth and good zeale vnto Christ. And prepared all the people aswell by his doctrine as by baptisme to embrace and receyue Christ which office of his his father Zacharie by inspiration of the holy spirit acknowledged in him assoone as he was borne We haue here rather to marke diligentlye that the businesse of Christ Iesus and his Gospell beganne by Iohn whose dutie it was to prepare their mindes that shoulde be the Disciples of Christ by the doctrine of repentance and baptisme For this waye Christ thought good to declare that hee woulde haue no man to seeke howe to lyue licentiouslye and fleshly vnder the pretence of him which thing it is euident both many did in tymes past and many doe the same in these dayes also and euen those which glorye in the name of the Gospell For the which cause Christ himselfe thought good to beginne his teaching with repentance and bade the Apostles afterward to beginne with the same Math. 4. and .10 Luc. 24. And they are not to be hearde which seperate the doctrine of repentance from the Gospell wheras without repentaunce we cannot be partakers of the saluation which is in christ And yet for all this we attribute not saluation to mannes merite or righteousnesse bicause we are commaunded to preach repentance in the name of christ And Peter before Act. 5. hath taught vs that God the father hath appoynted Christ to be the author and giuer thereof vnto vs In the meane season they are reprooued also which slaunderously say that we open gappes to the fleshe whereby to sinne by preaching of the Gospell whereas these men for none other cause more hate and persecute the Gospell than for that it grieuously accuseth and inueyeth agaynst their open wickednesse and the cloked hypocrisie of a great many Furthermore it behooueth vs to marke how the Apostle speaketh of the ministery of Iohn For he sayeth he preached Baptisme He ioyneth preaching with Baptisme to declare he was a minister both of doctrine and the sacrament For as by Baptisme he admonished men that they were purged made cleane so expounding the misteries therof by words he taught vs that purification is to be had in Christ only that worthy fruits of repentance are required of them that are purified Wherby it appeareth it is necessary that teaching be ioined with the sacraments forasmuch as without it the mysteries of the sacraments cannot be vnderstanded So God in the beginning commaunded that the meanyng of the feast of Passeouer should be declared vnto the children And we see that the sermons of the prophets are chiefly busied in declaring the misteries of the sacrifices and ceremonies of the lawe while they most grieuously reprehende them which carefully obserued the sacrifices neglecting in the meane season the duties of life by them signified And Christ a little before he departed from his Disciples cōmaunded them not only to baptize but chiefly commended vnto them the preachyng of the Gospell Which thing Paule so diligently obserued that he confesseth how he preached euerywhere but baptized verye fewe These thinges serue to confute them which tying grace to the outwarde signes thinke the vse of them alone sufficient vnto saluation and vse no doctrine wherby to declare the vse of them yea they vse a straunge tounge in the administration of them But how absurde a thing this ought to be iudged Paule sheweth at large in the first to the Corinthians and .xiiij. chapter Hauing nowe declared the beginning of the Gospell he sheweth that Iesus Christ is the author thereof to the ende he woulde notifie vnto vs what and what maner of one we ought to beleeue he is He expressely calleth him Iesus of Nazareth for that we should acknowledge it is he whom by reason of the basenesse of his countrie and bicause of his poore and lowly conuersation outwardly all men contemned Him he testifyeth that God annoynted teaching by these wordes that he is the Sauiour of mankinde which God had long before ordeyned For he maketh mention of annoynting bicause of the olde figure For of olde time the Priests and Kinges of Israel vsed to be annoynted who it is manifest were figures of the Sauiour promised And it was a receyued opinion that the promised Sauiour was called by the name of the Messias or Christ that is to saye annoynted bicause this denomination did declare his Priesthoode and kingdome and all the whole order of our redemption wherevpon the Disciples being asked in the gospell whome they sayde Iesus was they confessed he was Christ that annoynted of god Moreouer least some man might think him to be of no more excellency than other Priests and Kings who by reason of their outward annointing were called by the same name Peter teacheth that he was annoynted wyth the holy ghost and with power alluding no doubt to that verse of Dauid who prophecying of the kingdome of that promysed Sauiour sayth God hath annoynted thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes Thus he calleth the holy ghost by whose guyding the sonne of God became man and so administred his kingdome and Priesthoode that there is perceyued no griefe or sorowe therein but all kinde of pleasauntnesse and delyght For so he interpreteth the same in the Prophet saying The spirite
our dutie that we should not forget that we be made Kings and Priestes by Christ and that we should valiauntly maintayne the dignitie of our name It is the propertie of a King to be at his libertie and not to be in subiection vnder the rule of another Let vs therfore abide in the libertie wherevnto the sonne of God hath called vs and not suffer our selues to be oppressed hereafter with the seruitude of sinne which is the fylthiest and miserablest thing that can be It is the property of a King to vanquish and ouercome his enimies Let vs therefore subdue and vanquishe the moste cruell enimies of our saluation Satan the world and the fleshe with all the concupiscences therof It is the part of a king to cōmaunde and beare rule Let vs therfore rule our selues mightily ouercome al those things which leade vs crosse the way of saluation So let vs lykewise performe the dutie of Priests to teach to pray to consecrate and offer Wherefore it shall be our dutie to teach those that belong vnto vs both by word and example of lyfe as farre forth as the dutie of our calling bindeth vs It shall be our parts to pray both in secret and openly and to make intercession to God not onely for our owne necessities but also for our neyghbors It shall also be our duties to consecrate our selues for liuely sacrifyce vnto God and to offer to him euery day the bullockes of our lippes that is to say giuing of thankes which is the moste acceptable and thankefull sacrifyce that we can giue vnto him These thinges myght at large be drawne through the whole lyfe of man but it shall suffyse to giue the vnlearned an occasion to expende and consider better of them Whosoeuer perfourmeth these things is worthy to be called a Christian. And such it appeareth the Patriarches were in times past whome God in the hundreth and fyft Psalme calleth his annoynted that is to saye Christians Such it is credible those men of Antiochia were which first enioyed that name And if any will presumptuously bragge of the name they shall surely deceyue themselfe but God they cannot deceyue Let vs therefore diligently thinke of these thinges that remembring both our dignitie and dutie we may aunswere to so notable and excellent a name and being taken from this lyfe may raigne in heauen with Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxxxj. Homelie IN those dayes came Prophetes from the Citie of Ierusalem vnto Antioch And there stoode vp one of them named Agabus and signified by the spirite that there should be great dearth throughout all the world which came to passe in the Emperour Claudius dayes Then the Disciples euerye man according to his abilitie purposed to sende succour vnto the brethren which dwelt in Iurie which thing they also did and sent it to the Elders by the handes of Barnabas and Saule ALthough our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ is alwaye present with his Church yet he suffereth it as he foretolde diuerslye and manye wayes to be troubled hauing aduersitie as it were by continuall enterchaunge still following prosperitie The principall cause wherof is partly for that he woulde brydle the lustynesse of our fleshe and partlye bicause he woulde teache vs that he is as well able to deliuer his people in aduersitie as to maintaine them in prosperitie We haue heretofore seene certayne notable examples hereof For the Gospell in the beginning being prosperouslye preached at Ierusalem brought a great number of Disciples vnto Christ shortly after riseth a tempest of persecution that driueth down the florishing of the Church flat to the grounde By and by againe when Saule was conuerted vnto Christ sodeinly the Church was quiet the doctrine of Christ being caried vnto the Gentyles gaue likelyhoode of great encrease seeing that at Antioch the noblest Citie in all Syria there was a Church of Gentyles assembled togither and were there first called after that noble name of Christians But beholde a great and straunge aduersitie following namely a dearth which as it troubled the whole worlde so it most miserablye afflicted the faythfull whose goodes were spent partlye in finding the poore of the Church and partly were taken from them in the rage of persecution The consideration herof is most profitable for vs for herby we may learne the lesse to be offended if the lyke aduersity betide vs in these dayes And of all other this present place is worthy to be diligently considered as well for the manifolde comfort as also the instruction which the holy ghost here setteth forth For it declareth the dearth that was in the Church and it setteth out the fatherly prouidence of God hauing a care for the same and also sheweth what way and counsayle the faythfull tooke seeing the publike calamitie like to ensue And of all these we meane orderly to intreate First we will speake of the dearth wherof prophane writers but chieflye Iosephus and Suetonius make mention This dearth no man will deny but was sent by the iudgement of God except such an one as will deny God to be the gouernor of the whole worlde For the Prophete witnesseth that there is no plague in a Citie without the Lordes doing And in the lawe among the punishmentes wherewith God reuenged the contempt of hys worde barrennesse of grounde and scarcitie of victuals ar◠chiefely reckoned See Leuiticus 26. Deuter. 28. And we must not thinke that anye thing commeth vnto man by fortune forasmuch as it appeareth that the care of Gods prouidence extendeth it selfe euen to the sparrowes flowres of the field It shall be good when such things come to passe to search the causes of Gods iudgements which can be founde no where sooner than in mennes conuersation And surely Luke seemeth to poynt as it were with his fynger the causes of this dearth where he writeth it was in the dayes of Claudius Caesar. For he therefore named the Prince of the world who had then all authoritie and rule in his hande that by him we might iudge of the whole state of the worlde and the condicions of those dayes For it appeareth that the vices of Princes first infect with their contagiousnesse the Nobilitie and then their corrupt example poysoneth the Comminaltie And euen prophane writers report that Claudius was in all poyntes a moste naughtye Prince For from his childehoode he was cumbred with diuers and continuall diseases so that being dulled and made lumpish both in bodye and spirit growing further in age he was thought vnable to discharge any office publike or priuate Insomuch that Antonia hys mother vsed to say he was a monster a worke of nature begunne but not fynished and when she woulde note any body of blockishnesse or dulnesse she would say he was more foole than hir sonne Claudius And his sister Liuulla hearing on a time that he should be chosen Emperour did openly and alowde
with any maiesty of Godheade So when Peter sawe Christ glorifyed in the mount with Moses and Helias he vttered certaine vnfyt sayings being ignorant what he sayd Yet are they more daungerously deceiued which marke not the manifest iudgements of God whereby they are prouoked to repentance which is a thing to common in these dayes In the meane whyle Peters obedience deserueth no small prayse which though he were ignorant what this thing ment yet obeyed the Aungels admonition teaching vs by his example howe wee shoulde vse our selues to obey fayth as hath bene oftentimes declared But when he was come to himselfe and perceyued he was at libertie then he greatly magnifyed God the author of so great a benefyte Nowe sayth he I knowe for a suretie that the Lorde hath sent his Aungell and deliuered mee from the hande of Herode â–ª c. By which example we are taught that we must giue God only all the thanks for any our deliueries For although he vse the ministery of angels or men he must yet haue the whole praise which vseth his creatures onely according to his pleasure This thing himselfe teacheth by the Prophet saying Call vpon me in the time of trouble so will I heare thee and thou shalt prayse me Wherevnto appertayneth this saying of Dauid Let them giue thankes whome the Lorde hath redeemed and deliuered from the hande of the enimie Therfore Peter truly acknowledgeth God onely to be his reuenger which thing Paule also doth where he confesseth himselfe to be deliuered from the mouth of the Lion by Gods power Wherefore their error is intollerable which being deliuered out of prison from sickenesse or other like kinde of daungers ascribe the prayse of their deliuerye vnto Saintes Howe much more ought the redeeming of mankinde from the tyrannie of hâ—ll to be ascribed to God as the onely author Let vs acknowledge these things O brethren and with thankfull mindes prayse God which hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenesse and hath brought vs vnto the fellowship of his kingdome by his sonne Iesus Christ to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The .lxxxiiij. Homelie AND as hee considered the thing he came to the house of Marye the mother of one Iohn whose surname was Marke where many were gathered togither in prayer As Peter knocked at the entry doore a Damsell came forth to harken named Rhoda And when she knewe Peters voyce she opened not the entry for gladnesse but ranne in and tolde how Peter stoode before the entrie And they sayd vnto hir thou art madde But she affirmed that it was euen so Then sayde they it is hys Angell But Peter continued knocking and when they had opened the doore and saw him they were astonied And when he had beckened to them with the hande that they might holde their peace he tolde them by what meanes the Lorde had brought him out of prison And he sayde go shewe these things vnto Iames and to the brethren And he departed and went into another place Assoone as it was daye there was no little adoe among the Souldiours what was become of Peter When Herode had sought for him and founde him not he examined the keepers and commaunded them to be caried awaye And he descended from Iurie to Caesarea and there abode AS the Euangelist Luke by suggestion of the holy spirit hath described in this Chapter a most grieuous persecution of the Church of Christ by the example whereof wee are taught what state the Church is in here vpon earth so lykewise he setteth forth a notable example of the goodnesse and prouidence of God which defendeth the faythfull in their distresse and most faithfully perfourmeth the helpe which long agone he promised For as we sawe erewhyle then the Lorde was at hande with Peter the Apostle when he seemed destitute aswell of Gods helpe as mannes And he did not onely shew a semblant and token of good will but vsed his inuincible power to deliuer him For he sent his Aungell to vnloose the yron chaynes he openeth the doores in woonderfull wise he defeateth the watche of the souldiours and bringeth Peter out of all daunger and setteth him at libertie when sentence of death was already giuen agaynst him And albeit all they that are imprisoned and in bands for Christes sake are not deliuered in such woonderfull wyse yet there are generall promises that all they that giue themselues to Gods seruice are vnder his protection For Dauid affirmeth that the eyes of the Lorde are ouer the righteous and his eares are open vnto their prayers And the sonne of God testifyeth that the heares of our head be numbred But to let these things passe as is already sufficientlye entreated of let vs consider this present place where we are taught what Peter did after he was deliuered out of his bandes and prison what the exercise of the Church was in the meane season and howe Herode the tyraunt tooke this iudgement of God. Peter after he perceyued the Aungell gone and himselfe at libertie weyghing and expending diligently with himselfe all thinges that recoursed in his minde getteth him to the house of Mary which by all likelyhoode was not farre of and where he supposed some of the faythfull were assembled as the custome was This Mary was the mother of Iohn Marke which of diuers both of the olde and later writers is thought to be Marke the Euangelist Which opinion as it is not altogither certaine so it appeareth that this Marie was a woman of a rare fayth and godlynesse euen by thys one argument that while Agrippa did so cruellye persecute the Disciples of Christ yet would she let them resort to hir house as to a publike Temple where they did meete togither and exercise themselfe in the worde of God and in prayers which she coulde not doe without apparaunt and manifest perill Here the Lord thought good to teach vs by the example of this weake vessell howe boldly Christians ought to stande by their tackle and defende their cause euen in the middle of daungers and troubles But when Peter came thither the doores opened not myraculously as before the yron gate did bicause now there was no neede of any straunge myracle but he knocketh to haue some body to come open the doore Peters example is to be well considered of vs which hauing escaped the daunger of death is desirous aboue all things to be ioyned to the congregation agayne agaynst whome yet he knewe the tyraunt still raged Hereby we be taught what care wee ought to haue of Ecclesiasticall vnitie or fellowship and howe the spirite of Christ scattereth not the faythfull in sunder but ioyneth them togither as well inwardly as outwardly And they cannot fynde in their hart easilye to contemne this coniunction For as they knowe that all saluation is contayned in Christ alone so they vnderstand the same is deriued from Christ their head vpon them which are members of
the worlde hath of vs and casting away the desire of earthly glory lette vs aspire to the glory to come which is heauenly Secondly he produceth Esay by whome God speaking amongst other things of the benefytes that he woulde giue vs in Christ sayth I will make an euerlasting couenant with you euen the sure mercies of Dauid Furthermore Paule folowing the common translation of the Greekes expoundeth this word mercy by this word holy not vnaptly bicause he meaneth Christ vpon whom only depend all the promises of God made in times past to Dauid and to the fathers This therfore is the sense I wil giue vnto you that holy one that is to say that sauiour which I sometime promised vnto Dauid and in whome he put all his hope trust He applyeth the whole place to the resurrection of Christ taking his argument of the perpetuity of the couenant as though he should say God made an euerlasting couenant with Dauid and promised that the same should remayne for euer vnto his posteritie And it is certaine that that couenant is grounded vpon Christ whome the Scriptures euerywhere call the sonne of Dauid Ergo Christ also must be eternall and immortall For the couenant coulde not be eternall vnlesse he also were eternall and incorruptible in whome the same is made and which is the onely mediator thereof It followeth therefore that it was necessary that Christ shoulde rise againe from the deade and being raysed agayne shoulde after that suffer no more corruption Here by the waye it is to be obserued howe Christ must die but once And then it followeth that he must be but once offered for sinne forasmuch as without shedding of bloude there is no forgiuenesse of sinne See howe copiously Paule handleth this matter Heb. 9. and .10 Whereby the sacrifyce of the Masse is so ouerthrowne that it is marueyle howe there shoulde be any among Christians so voyde of shame that can go about to stablish and defende it The thirde testimonie he alleageth out of the .xvj. Psalme which we see Peter also vsed in his fyrst sermon at Ierusalem and euen in the same sorte and wise Also he prooueth that that place cannot be vnderstanded of Dauid but onely of christ For thus he reasoneth Dauid sayeth Thou shalt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption But it is manifest that Dauid fynished the course of his lyfe after the maner of other men and after he had ended his lyfe fell on sleepe and mouldred to dust Therfore Dauid speaketh not of himselfe but of Christ which he knewe should be borne of his stocke For before he suffered corruption he rose againe the thirde day in his glorious body So Paule in fewe words comprehendeth all the mysteries of Christ and sheweth that it is he of whome the Prophetes euerywhere haue spoken Furthermore before we make an ende lette vs obserue the phrase of speach where he sayth that Dauid after he had serued his age or time This thing teacheth vs both our dutie and condicion and state admonishing vs that mutuall charitie is required of vs as long as we liue in this worlde but after we are taken out of this lyfe that we are quitte of all duties towardes all men and that from thenceforth there is no more required at our handes Ergo the deade haue nothing to doe with the liuing so that it is truly sayde of the saintes in the Prophete Abraham knoweth vs not and Israel is ignorant of vs. By this inuocation and intercession to saintes is confuted whose felicitie cannot be perfyte if they shoulde be troubled with our miseries and aduersitie Also the appearing of spirites and soules are reprooued wherby they that forged and inuented the fyre of Purgatory haue hitherto gotten great gayne Then also Paule so describeth the death of Dauid that by the same may be seene the state of euery one of vs in death For fyrst he sayeth he fell on sleepe by the will of god Then our death hangeth not vpon the vncertaine hazardes of fortune or vpon the will of man but vpon Gods counsayle and determination who as he hath the heares of our heades numbred so hath he also the number of our dayes And this one thing is sufficient to comfort vs against the daungers and terrors of death That done he sayth he fell on sleepe Christ also calleth death sleepe bicause we being ridde of all the sorowes and griefes of lyfe by death rest from our labours in hope of the resurrection to come Thirdly he sayth hee was layde vnto his fathers which kinde of speach in the Scripture is vsed very often and teacheth vs that there are certain places appointed for the soules of the deade wherof Christ also maketh mention in the Parable of the rich glutton and Lazarus For the soules of the godly are layde with the blessed whose resting place the scripture sometime calleth the bosome of Abraham Contrarywise the soules of the wicked and of as many as haue put men in feare in the lande of the liuing go vnto hell Last of all Dauid sawe corruption For this is the immutable sentence of God that we which tooke our beginning of dust shoulde be turned into dust agayne and so is it requisite for the order of our saluation For this corruptible must put on incorruptibility this mortall must put on immortality bicause flesh and bloud cannot inherite the kingdome of heauen Therfore we haue a great hope in our corruption which we knowe is the beginning of our regeneration and resurrection to come And that this was the onely hope of the Saintes Iobes wordes in his .xix. Chapter manifestly declare Let vs therefore comfort our selfe with the same and not feare death seeing that we shall be made like vnto Iesus Christ the sonne of God to whome be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The lxxxxiij Homelie BE it knowne vnto you therefore ye men and brethren that through this man is preached vnto you the forgiuenesse of sinnes and that by him all that beleeue are iustified from all things from which you coulde not be iustified by the lawe of Moses Beware therefore least that fall on you which is spoken of in the Prophetes Beholde you despysers and woonder and perishe ye For I doe a worke in your dayes which you shall not beleeue though a man declare it you AFter the Apostle Paule had diligentlye and plainely declared that Iesus Christ was the very sonne of God and that sauiour that was once promised vnto mankinde and had also remooued out of the way all those impedimentes that might hinder the Iewes from the embracing of Christ nowe at length he concludeth his sermon which consisteth in two pointes For fyrst he sheweth what benefytes are giuen vs in Christ meaning thereby to enflame the mindes of his hearers with the desire of true fayth Next he layeth the horrible iudgement of God before their eyes in that he
the spirite and worde of God came with great chearefulnesse vnto the kingdome of Christ. Howbeit bicause the Apostles woulde seeme to doe nothing rashlye and of their owne heades they alleage the Oracle of God out of the .xlix. Chapter of Esay whereby they teache that God long agoe decreed that the Gentyles also shoulde knowe howe they had saluation in Christ and that the same shoulde no longer be deferred seeing the Iewes vnto whom the same was fyrst to be preached despised it Here therefore is the calling of the Gentyles prooued whereof we haue heretofore oftentimes spoken Moreouer the place of Esay teacheth vs what is giuen to vs in christ First and foremost a light which worketh in vs the true knowledge of God and saluation which the industrie of mans reason cannot attaine vnto for no man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath declared him Uerily saluation followeth this light For this is life euerlasting that wee knowe God the father and Iesus Christ whome he hath sent This is a woonderfull bountie and goodnesse of God which woulde in so short and briefe a summe set out vnto vs all that belongeth to our saluation Let vs therfore walke in this light that darkenesse do not ouerwhelme vs that we may attaine to saluation in this light that is in Iesus Christ to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The lxxxxv Homelie WHEN the Gentyles hearde this they were gladde and glorifyed the worde of the Lorde and beleeued euen as many as were ordeyned vnto eternall lyfe And the worde of the Lorde was published throughout all the region But the Iewes mooued the deuout and honest women and the chiefe of the Citie and raysed persecution against Paule and Barnabas and droue them out of their coastes But they shooke off the dust of their feete against them and came vnto Iconium And the Disciples were filled with ioye and with the holy ghost ALthough God gaue vnto his Sonne Iesus Christ a kingdome and all maner of power yet the scriptures euerywhere testify that he should haue many enimies in the worlde and Christ himselfe oftentimes admonished his Disciples thereof least they shoulde hope for a temporall felicitie and kingdome and so be offended with the crosse and aduersitie This present hystorie sheweth vs an euident example of such things as Christ sayde shoulde come to passe Paule after he had conuerted Cyprus and Pamphilia came to Antioch in Pisidia and there according to his custome preached Christ in the Sinagoge of the Iewes By and by he hath both Iewes and Gentyles to embrace the doctrine of fayth yea the whole Citie almost beganne to listen and giue eare to the gospell so that the matter seemed to be brought to passe euen as he woulde haue it But sodeinly the Iewes stande vp and openly speake against the Apostles in their sermons refrayne not from rayling In the which contention the constancie and boldenesse of the Apostles is specially to be noted whereby they did not only resist their wicked enimies but also pronounced the horrible iudgement of God against them declaring howe God woulde forsake them and transferre his kingdome vnto the Gentyles yet coulde not this contention be so appeased but more grieuous matters yet ensued of the which Luke intreateth in this place For he teacheth vs howe the doctrine of the Gospell was most faithfully published euen in the middle of the enimies After this he sheweth a newe persecution by meanes whereof the Apostles were driuen out of Pisidia and came to Lycaonia The ende of this Tragedie at length is declared to haue bene prosperous and ioyfull to the godly but very horrible and miserable for the vngodly To the fyrst part of this place appertaineth this saying when the Gentyles hearde this they were glad and glorified the worde of the Lorde and beleeued euen as many as were ordeyned vnto eternall life And the worde of the Lorde was published throughout all the Region The Gentyles which hearde Paules wordes reioyced not bicause the Iewes were forsaken for that had bene vnsitting both for their faith and Christian charitie but for that they hearde that saluation belonged to them also and that Christ was the sauiour not onely of the Iewes but also of the Gentyles according to the Oracles of the Prophetes Therefore with thankefull mindes they embrace the worde of God and worthily commende it And this saluation is not contayned within the walles of the Citie onely but is caried and spred abrode by preaching of the worde ouer all the Countrie of Pisidia There are in these things certaine poyntes worthy of diligent consideration of all which we will intreate orderly And first it is to be considered what these men were of whome these thinges are reported verily such as were ordeyned vnto eternall life And Luke so describeth them that it is manifest what the cause is that men beleeue the Gospell when the same is impugned of many and cruell enimies Surely it is the free election of God who ordeyneth those vnto lyfe whom it pleaseth him and likewise leaueth them in destruction and eternall damnation whome it seemeth him good For if we consider man as he is of nature we shall see it is not in his will or power to beleeue the Gospell and to take holde of Christ. For the naturall man perceyueth not the things belonging vnto the spirite of God. And wee bee not able of our selues so much as to thinke a good thought Our sauiour Christ teacheth vs the very same where he sayth it is needefull that we be borne againe from aboue and that none cōmeth vnto him but whome his father draweth He sayde likewise vnto Peter making confession of his faith Happy or blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas For flesh and bloude hath not opened that vnto thee but my father which is in heauen Of the which sayings we may easily gather that faith belongeth to them onely whome God hath chosen and predestinate vnto life euerlasting And it is plaine that this election was made from euerlasting and before the beginning of the worlde and that in Christ who was ordeyned to be our sauiour and Redeemer before this world was made Therefore our election is free and of Gods mercie Furthermore those whome he chose in Christ the same when he seeth good he calleth by preaching of the Gospell and draweth effectuously by his spirite that being graffed in Christ through faith they may be iustifyed by his merite and made partakers with him of the heauenly glorye according to that saying of Paule Those which he knewe before he also ordeyned before that they shoulde bee like fashioned vnto the shape of his sonne Moreouer whome he appointed before them also he called And whome he hath called them also he iustified and whome he iustified them he also glorified And as many as be of this number
Citie in the partes of Macedonia and a free Citie THE spirite of our Lorde Iesus Christe woulde that the iourneyes and voyages of the Apostles and specially those of Paule shoulde be diligently described bicause the same make not a little for our instruction For by them appeareth a great goodnesse of God which within so short a space of tyme did vouchsafe to lighten all the worlde with the doctrine of the gospell and saluation and to bring the prophane Gentyles when they were most corrupt to the knowledge fellowship of him It appeareth also by this hystorie by what meanes and weapons the kingdome of God vseth here on earth both to be enlarged and conserued Uerily by the preaching of the Gospell whereby in despyte of the worlde the spirite of God bloweth where it will as Christ otherwheres sayeth And where God doth vouchsafe to vse the ministerie of men herein he required of them earnest diligence and vigilant zeale Wherein we haue to imitate Paule of all others touching whose feruent zeale Luke reporteth manye things Whereof this is no simple argument and proofe that not contented to haue gayned many Congregations vnto Christ he goeth agayne to visite them and confyrmeth them by faithfull admonitions teaching vs that we must be carefull in the matter of our saluation bicause all men knowe the sleyghtes of Satan which laboureth to turne vs or euer we be ware out of the way of saluation Yet Paule so visiteth the congregations that he endeuoreth to gather and gayne newe companies vnto Christ of the which thing in this place Luke chiefely intreateth First it is sayde he went through Phrigia and Galacia And that there were newe congregations there erected the Epistle of Paule to the Galathians abundantly declareth conteyning in a compendious and perfyte abridgement all the whole summe of Euangelike doctrine In that iourney came to passe this one thing most marueylous of all other that they were forbidden by the holy ghost to preach the Gospell in Asia Under the name of Asia is comprehended that part which bordering on the sea westwarde conteyneth in the continent Acolia and Lydia aboue Ephesus and Smyrna and Ionia it selfe Which countries as they are most fruitfull and rich of all others so for this cause they were very vnhappye in that Christ would not at this time they should heare the doctrine of saluation Such was the case of Bythinia also into the which the same spirite of Christ woulde not suffer Paule to go neyther By which argument it easily appeareth that the Apostles wandered not about the worlde at their owne pleasure but did all things by the guiding and ordering of the spirite of GOD for we knowe that this holye spirite was promised and giuen vnto them by christ Beside that they had singuler reuelations when neede was whereof we had example before in Peter and Philip where the Ethiopian Eunuch and Cornelius the Centurion by their ministery should be conuerted This maketh for the commendation of the Apostles doctrine that we despyse it not as an humane thyng and to be little esteemed seeing it is manifest it was published among men by the euident working of the holy ghost But some men vse in this place to mooue a graue question why Paule was suffred in one place to teach and forbidden in another This question some men thinke is very commodiously soluted if all such doings be referred vnto Gods prescience or foreknowledge For they saye he foreseeth who be worthy to haue his word and to be saued and who be not But these kind of menne whyle they are carefull to defende the iustice of God for feare of making him the author of any sinne they make little of his grace measuring saluation by the worthynesse of menne which is impossible for them to doe vnlesse they will also stablishe the merite of man and the prowde affiaunce in mannes righteousnesse But howe friuolous and vayne a glose this is appeareth by this in that all men of themselues are vnworthye of saluation For as Paule testifyeth All haue sinned and are destitute of the glory of God and there is not a iust man no not one And there is none worthy to receyue the worde of saluation but such as God pleaseth to make worthy and meete For of our selues we are not once able to thinke good but all our worthynesse and abilitie to perceyue that that is good commeth of God. This saying of Christ is notable and well knowne to all menne No manne commeth to me but he whome the father draweth An example whereof we had in the .xiiij. Chapter where it is sayde they beleeued that were ordeyned vnto life euerlasting And in the next Sermon we shall haue the example of Lydia which therefore beleeued Paule bicause the Lord had opened hir hart It remayneth therefore that there can be none other cause alleaged of this doing but the franke and free election of God which embraceth by his mercye whome he pleaseth and whome againe he lyâ—â—eth their harts he hardeneth And yet no man must accuse God eyther of vnrighteousnesse or crueltie forasmuch as he is bound to man and so ordreth his iudgements that great learning commeth thereby vnto vs For in the elect he sheweth an example of his meere goodnesse and in the reprobate the seueritie of his iustice that we may learne to feare the one and to embrace and kisse the other Moreouer the vse of this doctrine serueth and is necessarye for many purposes For it marueylously comforteth vs in temptations bicause we knowe our saluation is not founded in our power or in the merite of our righteousnesse but in the grace of God and merite of christ For who can ouerthrow this righteousnesse or grace who shall seperate those from the loue of God whom he hath once embraced Or who shall be able to take one sheepe out of Christes hande seeing all power is giuen to him in heauen and in earth Whosoeuer teach that saluation dependeth vpon our worthinesse doe vtterlye infringe the force and strength of this consolation Besides this doctrine teacheth vs our dutie and to acknowledge the great goodnesse of God when we perceyue our selues more sought after and visited by the worde of God than others For as God attributeth not this vnto our merites but of his meere grace goeth about to saue vs so if any disdaine to acknowledge his goodnesse and shewe themselues vnkinde towardes him he sheweth the horrible seueritie of his iustice agaynst them We haue for example Corozaim Bethsaida Capernäum and the whole Nation of the Iewes which we reade God cast of for none other cause but for that they woulde not acknowledge the day of their visitation Examples of like seuertitie are those Cities which God did vouchsafe to illuminate by the ministerie of Paule more than other For we sâ—e they are at this day tyrannously oppressed by the Turkes bicause they shewed not themselues so thankfull vnto God as they ought
creepe into them and to draw them which began to beleeue in Christ by little and little from him Besides this he thought to tickle the Apostles mindes with ambition and desire of vayne glory to th ende that being herewith entysed they might neglect the glory of god You see therfore what poyson lyeth hid vnder the bayte of this honorable and holye acclamation With this intent we reade he flattered Christ also and bare recorde of him Let vs here marke the sleyght of Satan which can marueylouslye dissemble his hatred of the truth and transforme himselfe into an Aungell of light Therefore lette vs suspect whatsoeuer commeth from him Neyther let vs beleeue his instrumentes although they speake neuer so grauely and honorably in the commendation of Gods seruauntes and haue the holy scriptures neuer so ryfe in their mouth This place serueth to refute them which say we are vniustly offended with the Papacie bicause therein the name of Christ is preached the commendation of Saints are celebrated the lessons of holye scripture are daily vsed and nothing is done without the inuocation of Gods holy name But these men are ignoraunt how Antichristes sea or chayre must stande in the Church and marke not this saying of Christ Not euery one that sayth vnto me Lorde Lorde c. And if we woulde looke nearer on the matter it shall appeare that they seeke nothing vnder the pretence of religion and Christ his Church and his reuerende name but to establishe their tyrannie and to bring mennes traditions in credite Also by this place are they confuted that holde with Coniurers enchaunters or soothsayers bicause they heare them mutter out the reuerent names of God and weighty sentences of scripture But what marueyle is this since the Deuill durst alleage scriptures against our Maister Christ yea they sinne the more grieuously bicause they colour their impietie with the name of God the abuse and prophanation whereof he will not leaue vnpunished Nowe what Paules opinion was touching all these pointes this present example declareth He for a time beareth with this Maiden testifying this truth of them wayting for some suggestion of the holy spirite bicause he woulde not offende through blinde and ouerhastie affection at length inflamed with an holye zeale and indignation he rebuketh the Mayde thus crying and in the name of Christ expelleth the spirite Which example although it serue for the instruction of all men yet chiefely it teacheth the Ministers of the worde their dutie who must haue so great a care of the truth that they shoulde suffer nothing which by any meanes maye derogate any thing from the same although it made greatly for their prayse and glorye For as we declared before Satan vseth by flatterie to set on such as he knoweth are other wayes inuincible For the which cause Christ forbade the euill spirites to speake and woulde receyue no commendation at their mouthes Wherefore they are greatly deceyued that vse to dally with those whome they knowe are altogither straungers from the truth They hide many times their poison but the more they flatter the sorer they hurt It is the part of a christian man to take none for his friende whom he knoweth to be Christes enimie and cannot abyde the doctrine of christ But this is very worthye to be considered that Paule setteth Iesus Christ agaynst the Deuill and that he is constrayned to depart assoone as he heareth the name of Christ pronounced This is an vnspeakable argument of the power of christ For none can enter the house of a mightie man and ryfle him of his goodes except he fyrst binde him But Iesus Christ cōming into the world hath so vanquished the Deuill the Prince thereof that if he heare but the name of Christ onely he is constrayned to leaue his possession in men and to giue place vnto christ Therfore we must needes confesse that the power of Christ is much greater than the power of the deuill And of this we must fet comfort in our temptations that we feare not him who hath no power or force agaynst Christ in whom we are graffed through fayth Agayne we are by this place taught that Christ hath nothing to doe with the deuill seeing he doth not vouchsafe to receyue of him any testimonie be it neuer so honorable For what societie or communion can be betweene them seeing according to the fyrst promyse Christ came into the world to breake or crush the Deuils head and to destroy his works This also admonisheth Christians of their dutie that they should haue nothing to doe with the deuill For it is not meete for them that haue professed Christ to dallye with the Deuill in any poynt Let them therefore flye these soothsaying Artes which the craft of the Deuill and curiositie of man hath inuented Let them flye the inglings of enchauntmentes whereby he promyseth men helpe in their diseases or in their other distresses Let them flye false and prophane worshippings Idolatrye superstition and whatsoeuer else plucketh vs from god Let them hate the tyrannie of sinne whereby the libertie that Christ hath purchased vs is lost Let them watch constantly in the fayth and resist the Deuill and he shall depart from them whereby it shall come to passe that we hauing shaken of his yoke shall here leade a life acceptable vnto God and shall hereafter liue and reygne in heauen with our Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christ to whom be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cx. Homelie AND when hir Mayster and Mystresse sawe that the hope of their gaine was gone they caught Paule and Sylas and drewe them into the market place vnto the Rulers and brought them to the Officers saying These men trouble our Citie seeing they are Iewes and preache ordinaunces which are not lawfull for vs to receyue neyther to obserue seeing wee are Romaines And the people ranne against them and the officers rent their clothes and commaunded them to be beaten with rods And when they had beaten them sore they cast them into prison commaunding the Iayler of the prison to kepe them diligently Which when he had receyued such commaundement thrust them into the inner prison and made their feete fast in the stockes AS the Deuill partly with flatterie and deceyte and partlye by open force withstoode Iesus Christ while he liued here on earth and preached the Gospell euen so he vseth the same weapons against the Apostles of Christ at this daye that in tymes past he vsed This maye we see in this present hystorie For agaynst Paule preaching amonge the Philippians he setteth a Damsell possessed with the spirite of the Deuill by whome he giueth a notable testimonie of the truth vnto Paule meaning this way to bring the doctrine of the Gospell in suspition with wise men and to get himselfe some rowme among the professors of christian faith But the Apostle Paule quickly smelleth his subtiltie and compelleth the spirite being adiured by the name of
among the Thessalonians they exaggerate the matter and say that the Apostles did all things against the lawes and decrees of Caesar and so accuse them of treason saying they appointed an other to be king of the worlde affirming in a maner the same that they of Ierusalem before obiected against Christ before Pylate If you let these men go you are not Caesars friende The chiefe vse of these thinges is to learne vs with what instrumentes and weapons the wicked most assault the truth and hir Ministers First they vse open force For where Satan is a murtherer they thinke they haue a great defence therein for themselfe So Pylate sent forth his crewe with swordes and clubbes to take Christ which plainely sayde he did exercise the power of darkenesse Thus Cain violently kylled Abel And Pharao openly afflicted the Israelites Yea if a man would consyder the hystories of all ages he shoulde see the chiefe argumentes of the enimies of the truth founded vpon seculer power And commonly in these dayes they vse to dispute against the godly with imprisonment chaynes Gunnes Speares fyre and sworde Howbeit bicause the wiser sort abhorre from manifest violence and tyranny Satan knoweth craftily howe to mittigate the heynousnesse of this matter with lying going about by false accusations and slaunders to bring the seruauntes of Christ and faythfull Ministers of the truth in ignominie and suspicion Examples hereof we haue else where alleaged in Achab the king and in the Iewes accusing Christ before Pylate so that we neede tarie no longer in this matter Let vs learne at the least not rashely to beleeue them that grieuously accuse the godly as though they were blasphemers of God iniurious to the saintes and disturbers of the common weale Let vs rather search out the verie truth of the matter and commonly it shall appeare they are most innocent which before seemed worthy of all kinde of punishment This place teacheth vs furthermore what great destruction commeth vnto common weales by ydle and gracelesse persons For when they haue spent and consumed their owne goodes they gape after other mens and will be hyred for a little to commit a great mischiefe whereby it commeth to passe that they which will not by iustice of discipline punishe them are at length much cumbred and endammaged by them and perceyue their common weales by them to be much hyndered So these men being long suffered at Thessalonica wax at length so bolde and desperate that being entised and hyred by the Iewes they beginne a publike sedition and their boldenesse putteth all men in feare which thing seemeth to me to haue bene the cause that Paule afterward wryting to the Thessalonians warneth them so dyligently to see to the ordering of them that liued ydly of other mens labours For to let passe this present example there are euerywhere manye examples of other nations which teache vs that there are no kynde of men more pernitious vnto common weales But in steede of a great many that one may serue that is written in the storie of the Romaines of the coniuration of Catiline and his Complices Most prudently therefore did the Athenians sometyme inact that sluggishe and ydle persons shoulde be brought out into the market place and openlye shamed as men getting their lyuing by no honest arte or trade With the same Athenians the officers called Areopagitae when they suspected anye of inordinate lyfe called them before them and demaunded of them howe they liued and mainteyned themselues Which seueritie and industrie if it were vsed in our dayes woulde make our common weales and Churches more quiet than they be But it is a foule thing for christian men in this poynt to be ouercome of Gentiles whome reason and experience of the fleshe onely taught to be more wise than we Nowe let vs see the ende of this Tragedie whose beginning was such that no man would haue thought it coulde haue bene ended without shedding of bloud First the Iudges and people are both mooued as commonly it vseth to be in sedition so that at the fyrst brunt wisemen and modest also are almost amazed and wote not what to doe But as God with a little blast of winde can chase away the threatning and clowdie countenance of heauen so in this place with small adoe he maketh them quiet calme that erewhile seemed to be starke mad For by the secret working of hys spirite he mittigateth the mindes of the Iudges to heare Iason speake and at length being satisfyed to dismysse hym and the other brethren In the meane while the brethren in the night season sende away Paule and Silas to Berrhoea where they againe go into the Synagoge and preache with great fruit and vtilitie But as in this councell of Thessalonica is set forth a president of ciuile iustice and equitie for all men to follow which are in office and authoritie so in the other persons haue we some thinges also to be obserued And fyrst this thing is verie comfortable that is tolde of Iason He for his kindenesse shewed vnto the Apostles is in great daunger But the Lorde so deliuereth him that he obteyneth an euerlasting praise in the congregation of the saintes And thus is the promise of Christ fulfylled which promised a sure rewarde vnto him that giueth but a Cup of cold water vnto any one of his disciples Let this kindle in vs also a desyre vnto godlynesse that it seeme not to vs intollerable to suffer traueyles and perilles for Christes faythfulles sake Further the brethren of Thessalonica shewe themselues thankefull vnto Paule and Silas in that they accompany them and bringing them on their waye in the night season putting themselues a freshe in daunger so that it is not without a cause that Paule commendeth their fayth in the Epistle he wryteth vnto them The Galathians also are commended of him for the same cause who sayth he were ready to haue giuen him their eyes if he had needed them But nowe a dayes Ministers haue small thanks for they are the fyrst in daunger and sometime deliuered into the handes of their cruell enimies by them which will be taken for most christian people and Gospellers Finally we haue to consyder Paule which embraseth the counsell of the brethren wylling him to flye vnderstanding that it was a thing permytted by Christ when neyther the glorie of God nor the weale of the brethren and congregation was in daunger For God will not haue vs perishe without great cause and for no profyte In the meane season in the flying they are not forgetfull of their duetie but assoone as they come to Berrhoea they teach agayne By which example we are admonished that we must so see to our owne safety that we forsake not our standing and tackle But if we be endued with the zeale of God the cause it selfe time and place shall easily giue vs counsell what to doe Let the power and goodnesse of God also comfort vs wherby we see Paule
so often defended and delyuered and hauing this let vs manfully defend our vocation that hauing with stedfast course gotten the Gole we may obteyne the rewarde of eternall life in our sauiour Iesus Christ to whome be praise honor power and glorie for euer Amen The Cxv. Homelie THESE were the noblest of birth among them of Thessalonica which receyued the worde with all diligence of minde and searched the scriptures daylie whether those things were euen so And many of them beleeued also of worshipfull women which were Greekes and of men not a fewe When the Iewes of Thessalonica had knowledge that the worde of God was preached of Paule at Berrhoea they came and mooued the people there And then ymmediatly the brethren sent away Paule to go as it were to the Sea but Silas and Timotheus abode there still And they that guyded Paule brought him vnto Athens and receyued a commaundement vnto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with speede and went their way ALthough the kyngdome of our Sauiour Iesus Christ is daylie and continually assaulted by this world and the Prince thereof yet can it be so little ouerthrowne that in the myddle of persecutions it most prosperously commeth forwarde The contynuall hystorie of this booke declareth the same but chiefely the discourse of the things done by Paule For as he laboured more than all the Apostles else so he suffered more grieuous persecutions than they and found euerywhere enimies of the fayth by whose craft he was still chased and dryuen away But as often as the rage of his enimies compelled him to auoyde any place so often he left the seede of Gods worde in the mindes of the hearers and caryed the Gospell to an other place and so still wanne more vnto Christ the lord Luke wryteth that this was done at Macedonia For we hearde howe he was vniustly and vnworthyly intreated at Philippi yet the Epistle which he wrote vnto the Philippians declareth that he had not laboured there in vaine His persecution was cause that he went vnto the Thessalonians amongs whome he taught three Sabboth dayes At length he was driuen from thence also by his olde enimies the Iewes But the faith of Christ could not be driuen out which now had taken roote in many mens hartes But hee being come vnto Berrhoea preacheth the Gospell with great auayle These things serue to comfort vs against the attempts of the world and the Deuill For as Salomon sayth There is no counsel against the Lord. But it is his counsell or deuise that Christ should haue all power in heauen and in earth and that the borders and boundes of his kingdomes shoulde be stretched ouer all the worlde Wherefore it must needes come to passe for as much as heauen and earth shall sooner fayle then the decrees and ordynances of god But let vs see this present place which declareth what things Paule dyd at Berrhoea He beginneth with the commendation of the Iewes at Berrhoea declaring howe prosperously and in what order the gospell proceeded among them He commendeth them by comparing them with the Thessalonians For these men contumeliously reiected the worde of god But those of Berrhoea being of a more towardnesse and better zeale receyued the same with all readynesse of minde and searching the scriptures by themselues at home they examined tried the things that Paule taught as with a Touchstone Hereof it came to passe that a great multitude of them beleeued and by their example manye of the Greekes and Gentyles as well men as women were brought vnto the fayth of christ This example teacheth vs what maner of men they ought to be that will profytably heare the Gospell Aboue all thinges it is necessarie to haue a certayne readynesse of minde to receyue the same For vnlesse the worde maye haue place gyuen it in the mindes of men it can bring forth no fruite Wherefore they stumble at the verie thresholde and euen in the beginning that disdaine to heare the worde which is the peculiar marke of the children of the Deuill as Christ teacheth This example is to be well obserued of them which are prowde of their nobilitie and byrth and vaunt themselues therof in vaine cognizaunces and badges Howbeit touching the generation of the fleshe it is in all men alyke corrupt and such as maketh vs the children of sinne The seede of regeneration is the worde of God which being quickened in our minde by the spirite we that before were the seruauntes of sinne are borne to be the children of god Therfore they are neyther noble nor gentle which giue not place herevnto and be not borne againe of the same and so be made the children of god Wherefore Luke truely calleth these people of Berrhoea noble for their studie and desyre that they had vnto the worde In the meane season yet we must take heede of to much facilitie least to hastily receyuing whatsoeuer is taught vnder pretence of Gods worde we learne false opinions and be caryed about with vncertayne doctrine as with a blast of winde Therefore we must weygh and expende and examine whatsoeuer is sayde by the Canon of holye scripture according to that saying of Paule Trye or prooue all thinges keepe that which is good And S. Iohn the Apostle sayth Beloued beleeue not euery spirite but try the spirites whether they be of God or no. Two notable errours are confuted in this place which haue grieuously troubled the Church a great number of yeares One of them is the forbidding of the laytie and commons to reade the holy scripture Yet God would haue them alwaye common to all sortes of men For he made a lawe to that ende before all the multitude of Israel called vnto the same And the holye Ghost ordeyned that the bookes of Scripture shoulde be written in none other but the vulgare tongue And sure it were an absurde matter to exclude anye man from the doctrine of eternall lyfe seeing God would haue the same and the knowledge thereof to come vnto all men The other errour they holde which will haue their doctrine iudged of no man but lyke arrogant and Cyclopicall Gyauntes chalenge to themselues authoritie to teache what they will in the Church yea they say it is intollorable and hereticall that any man should demaund of them any reason or accoūt of that they say Are they then better then Paule was which suffred his sermons to be examined according to the rule of scripture Or else shall he be an heretike that now a dayes doth that for the which these people of Berrhoea were counted noble and true chyldren of God Yea howe say you if Paule submit himselfe vnto the censure of the godly His wordes be these If eyther I Paule or an Aungell from heauen preach an other Gospell than hath bene preached he ought to be accursed And Christ sayth this is the propertie of his sheepe to know his voyce from the voyce of a
all men The which argument he vseth also Rom. 1. Under this also he comprehendeth all the whole businesse of our redemption For if he rose agayne surely he dyed and dyed as is sayde elsewhere for our sinnes but was raysed agayne for our iustification But bicause we haue oftentimes discoursed of these poyntes and haue occasion euerywhere to intreate more of the same these fewe shall suffyse for this present Now remayneth the effect of this doctrine which was diuers and variable according to the diuersitie of the hearers For some at the fyrst mention of the resurrection did mocke and scoffe at it namely they of Epicures sect wherof there are great numbers in these dayes Other somewhat better than these desired to heare him dispute againe touching this point therby declaring they had somewhat tasted of the truth There are againe other some whose hearts God had illuminated by his spirite to beleeue openly to ioyne themselues vnto Paule So euerywhere is fulfylled the saying of Paule that the Gospell is to some the sauour of death vnto death and to other some the sauour of lyfe vnto lyfe Among those that beleeued is Dyonisius accounted a man of great dignitie as who was one of the number of the Iudges called Areopagitae Also Damaris a woman by all likelyhoode of great dignitie and estimation bicause mention is made of hir by name Wherefore the gospell is neuer preached without some fruite or profyte and although but a fewe beleeue at the fyrst yet great and famous congregations growe of small beginninges as hystories declare came to passe at Athens It is our duties not to be offended at the paucitie or small number of beleeuers but to embrace with thankefull mindes the gospell of saluation that it may bring forth in vs worthy fruites and that we maye attayne vnto saluation through the promises thereof by Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome bee prayse honour power and glorye for euer Amen The .xviij. chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The Cxx. Homelie AFTER this Paule departed from Athens and came to Corinthus and founde a certaine Iewe named Aquilas borne in Pontus lately come from Italy with his wyfe Priscilla bicause that the Emperour Claudius had commaunded all Iewes to depart from Rome and hee drewe vnto them bycause he was of the same craft he abode with them and wrought Their craft was to make tentes And he preached in the Synagoge euery Sabboth daye and exhorted the Iewes and the Gentyles When Sylas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia Paule was constrayned by the spirite to testifie to the Iewes that Iesus was very Christ. THe Euangelist Luke in the chapiter that went before shewed vs howe Athens was conuerted a very notable citie both by reason of the schoole of wisedome therein and also bicause of the manifolde fame of their religion Then next vnto this he handsomely ioyneth the hystorie of the conuersion of Corinth vnto Christ a most rich a most corrupt City in which hystory the power of the spirit of Christ and the efficacie of the gospell so brightly and woonderfullye shyned that Paule called the Church of Corinth the seale of his Apostleship For as Corinth aswell by reason of hiâ— situation betweene two seas was very rich and famous as also for merchandyzes and traffike there vsed so the baytes entycementes and number of merchauntes resorting thither from all partes and coastes infected the same wyth moste corrupt maners insomuch that the ryotousnesse thereof was nowe noted in publyke Prouerbes For when men woulde speake of persons giuen to great ryote and sensualitie they woulde saye they played the Corinthians And this was a common saying in all peoples mouthes Euery man maye not come vnto Corinth Among other vices there whoredome chiefely reigned wherevnto they were so giuen that in Venus Temple they had about a thousande Damosels and Nunnes for that purpose and afterward euen among them that had professed Christ there was one which vnlawfully kept company with his stepmother vntill by Paules censure and appoyntment he was excommunicated Into this Citie commeth Paule when he went from Athens and that not without the ordinance of God as the ende and successe declared For the Lorde which did vouchsafe to saue his elect out of the pumpe of sinnefulnesse by the preaching of the gospell had there a great many of people Moreouer this Citie giueth vs an ensample both of the goodnesse of God towarde sinners and also of the vertue or power of the Gospell For if a man woulde compare the abiect and base estate of Paule being but a straunger and vnknowne with the indurate custome of sinne with the glorious shewe of ryches with the abundaunce of delyghtes with the entycements of pleasures on euerye side and with the pompe and pryde of Merchauntes his attempt shall then seeme altogither ridiculous which woulde go about to reforme both their lyfe and religion at once But the thing that seemed ridiculous in the iudgement of the fleshe wanted not a most prosperous successe giuen by the Lorde For wythin an yeare and a halfe by the preaching of the Gospell the spirite of Christ therwith working Paule set a newe face vppon this Citie and vniuersallye reformed it a thing which no lawmaker of howe great authoritie so euer he had bene coulde haue bene able to haue perswaded them so that it is not without a cause that Paule reioyseth so much for the conuerting of this Citie considering he no where founde a more effectuall working of the Gospell than there Which also seemeth to mee to be the cause that Luke is so diligent in describing this hystorie insomuch that he prosecuteth at large the least circumstances thereof Which thing in other places eyther he vtterly letteth passe or else onely toucheth them lightly as it were by the waye This thing ought to stirre vppe also our diligent attention to consider the same First and foremost he maketh mention of the place where Paule hosted in the fynding out whereof I suppose Paule vsed some great circumspection bicause Christ gaue the Apostles a peculiar commaundement touching the prouiding them of commodious and fytte hostes Paule therefore founde an host called Aquilas which was a Iewe borne in Pontus who not long before by reason of Claudius the Emperors proclamation with his wyfe Priscilla was fayne to depart from Rome to come vnto Corinth For at that time the state of the Iewes was verye miserable bicause the vengeance of God followed them being embrued with the bloude of the sonne of god in al places It came to passe further also that they which denied Christ to be their sauiour were fayne euery day to seeke them newe sauiours and to make newe stirres and vprores so that all menne worthily hated them Aquilas therefore being violently caryed with the common calamitie of the whole Nation is also banished yet not without the prouidence of GOD which prepared Paule a lodging with him among the
women with their heades couered bicause the man is free but the woman vnder the mans power whome she ought to take for hir heade For the which cause when the time of the vowe was out the Nazareans were shauen in solemne wise to th end they might know they were restored to their former libertie againe It may seeme that Paule tooke this vowe vpon him bicause of the Iewes which thought him to be a prophane and wicked contemner of the lawe and therefore thought by this meane the sooner to winne them to hearken to the Gospell For he seemeth to confesse a like thing where he writeth he became a Iewe vnto the Iewes and to those that were vnder the lawe as one himselfe vnder the lawe Otherwise he was not ignorant of Christian libertie which he euerywhere writeth ought not to be broken for anye ceremonies sake See Colos. 2. Galat. 4. Therfore they doe most foolishly which abuse the example of Paule to the maintenance of Monkishe vowes For this vowe was instituted in the lawe of God which although in the death of Christ it is abolished with the ceremonies thereof yet for the auncient dignitie thereof and for the weakes sake it was not sodeinely to be made awaye and buried but by little and little But it is euident that Monkes vowes are founded vppon the traditions of men which ought to be of no authoritie in religion Againe the Nazareans vowed vnto God where the moste part of Monkishe vowes are made vnto Creatures Agayne the vowes of the Nazareans altered not the trade of lyfe neyther was the vnitie of the Church therby deuided But Monkish vowes as they take away all former trades of life so they bring into the Church many diuers sectes The Nazareans vowed such things as man was able to performe Monkes vowe chastity which the whole Scripture sayth is not giuen to euery man The Nazareans were grieuous or chargeable to none by reason of their vowe But Monkes whyle they vowe wilfull pouertie will be fedde like ydle paunchbellies of other mennes labors The Nazareans vowe forbade them not obedience to Magistrates Parentes and all other estates to whome we be bounde by nature Monkes vowes breake all obedience and bind them onely to their Abbots who owe obedience both to Parentes and Rulers Furthermore the Nazareans had no affiance in their owne merites For they both confessed themselues to be sinners when their vowe was ended and that God was the author of all goodnesse But Monkishe vowes moste of all other maintayne an affiance in mans righteousnesse and deseruings Wherfore if there were no other cause this one were sufficient to condemne them and put them away But to let passe this pumpe and sinke of superstition returne we vnto Paule which traueyling out of Achaia into Asia the lesser came to Ephesus where we haue to consider foure thinges in order First he goeth into the Synagoge and disputeth with the Iewes Agayne here appeareth the loue he bare to his countriemen whome for manye causes as we haue otherwheres declared he coulde not hate although he had once or twyse before shaken the dust of agaynst them This example of Paule teacheth vs that the wrath and iudgement of God shoulde so be set out vnto the wicked that if they conuert they may yet knowe there is hope left that God will be fauourable vnto them and pardon them For it is God that sayth I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he conuert and lyue Wherefore we must vse all the diligence that we can to bring and winne people vnto the lord Secondlye the example of the Ephesians teacheth vs that the labor of the Saintes is not in vayne For where they are desirous to haue Paule remayne longer among them it appeareth euidently they had much profyted by him For it cannot be that they can delyght in the Ministers companye that haue not as yet tasted the fruite of the doctrine of the gospell Neyther can they be iudged for louers of the Gospell that vse to hate the Ministers thereof and little to regarde their labors and disdainefully to auoyde their companies Let vs agayne consider howe Paule refuseth to accomplishe a godly request For he sayth I must needs at this feast that commeth be at Ierusalem I pray you what neede vrged Paule so to be Shall we say it was for deuotion sake of the feast No. For he knewe well that holye dayes were abrogated among other ceremonies and there was no cause vrged him for the weake brethrens sake to go vp to Ierusalem bicause there were many Iewes in euery Citie drowned in Iewishe superstitions which notwithstanding went not thither Wherefore as in other places we haue reade howe Paule was guided by the holy ghost in all his doinges so it is lyke he was secretly mooued by the same spirite to take this voyage nowe in hande although the cause be not expressed nor yet declared what he did there more than saluted the congregation and brethren Surely Paules traueyle coulde not be in vayne in such a Citie wherevnto agaynst the feast repayred such a great multitude both of Iewes and Gentyles from among all nations For so euen at one time togither might the doctrine of the Gospell be scattred among many Nations It is to be marueyled why Paule is pulled so soone from them which seemed to be so ready to receyue profyte by the gospell and it may seeme an vncourteous and an vnloouing part to leaue them if we should herin leane vnto reason But Gods doings are to him knowne and certaine And the chiefe vse of such examples is for vs to learne to submit our willes and desires seeme they neuer so holy and good vnto the pleasure of god Fourthly let vs see howe Paule departed from Ephesus He biddeth them farewell which is a token of thankefulnesse and friendly good will. For their discourtesie is very vnhonest that depart from their hoste where they haue receyued benefytes without taking of leaue Moreouer he leaueth Aquilas with them that they should not seeme altogither destitute Furthermore he promiseth to returne to them againe by the leaue of god Whereby it manifestly appeareth that he bare them no euill will but was compelled and strayned for weighty considerations to leaue them Here we haue to imitate Paules religiousnesse which in a most godly cause presumeth nothing of his owne heade but vnderstanding that all endeuors and deuises depend vpon Gods prouidence referreth all things vnto his pleasure This sentence of Salomon is common manne purposeth but God disposeth What rashnesse then is this of men to attribute so much to themselues in prophane matters so to appoynt their doinges as though they woulde prescribe lawes vnto god See Iacob 4. Luc. 12. Paule being nowe departed from Ephesus commeth to Caesarea in Iury and from thence to Ierusalem when he had there greeted the congregation and dispatched the matters about the which he went he came to
behooueth that Ministers shoulde be bolde to speake that they dissemble not eyther for fauor or feare But herof we haue spoken before where Paule was cōmaunded to speake and not to hold his peace And the things enioyned the Ministers of the word it is necessary al men that beare office should likewise performe as the scriptures euerywhere declare Yea let all men priuately apply these things to themselfe if they meane to be allowed of God in their vocation For where God requyreth vs to serue him with all our harts we that haue giuen our selues wholye vnto him must not choose but paynefully plainely and feruently occupie our selues in these affayres as meete is Now Luke describeth howe Apollos profyted in the knowledge of Christ and saluation while he goeth about to set forth his glory and to further the saluation of others For he sayth when Aquila and Priscilla had hearde him they tooke him vnto them and expounded the waye of God vnto him more perfitely And here aboue all thinges appeareth the truth of that promise of Christ To euery one that hath sayth he shall be giuen and he shall abounde They are sayde to haue which acknowledge the giftes giuen vnto them and which vse them diligently to the glory of God that when the Lorde requyreth an account of them he may receyue it with vsaunce and encrease This bicause Apollos did performe with all diligence and industrie as we sayde erewhyle therefore God fayleth not of his promise but streightway stirreth vp faythfull Ministers which enforme him more fully and perfytely in his will. This ought to serue for the instruction of all men that they may vnderstande howe all the graces of God are no waye more happily increased than by faithfull studie Thus they that vse their wisedome to the setting forth of Gods glory doe feele euery day how God encreaseth the same The like reason is to be made of learning honours riches and of all other things whereof we lacke not examples to prooue the same Agayne there is no greater cause why the giftes of God are quenched in vs than when we giue our selues rather to sloth and ydlenesse than to the setting forth of Gods glory Here for manye considerations both Aquila and Priscilla and Apollos are to be marked For vnder those fewe wordes the Euaungelist comprehendeth great godlynesse and vertues It is a great argument of godlinesse that they giue eare to Apollos while he teacheth wheras yet they had so great intelligence in the mysteries of Christ that they were able to teach both him and others This is the true marke of the children of God whose propertie Christ sayth is to heare his worde both willingly and often They are reprooued by this example which thinke they haue profyted so much in the knowledge of saluation that they haue neede of no farther instruction and therefore will neyther reade the Scriptures at home nor come at the Church to heare Sermons Thus whyle they thinke they haue profyted to much they openly declare they are yet ignorant what the chiefe cognizance of the children of God is For they bicause they knowe the kingdome of God consisteth not in bare knowledge but rather that God requyreth we shoulde order our life according to the rule of his worde they cannot be satisfyed with hearing bicause they feele that they want much euen in the chiefest poynt Moreouer this holy couple of maried folke declare a feruent desire to the glory of God in taking such an one to instruct as they sawe was able greatly to profyte the Church of christ Agayne it is an argument of true loue and cleare of all enuye that they priuately instruct him and enuie him not that glory that he had hytherto gotten by his faithfull traueyle but rather helpe him that both he may be the more perfytely instructed and the more people woonne by his meane If a manne woulde compare this with the doings in our dayes good Lorde howe few or rather no tokens of so Christian a minde shall we fynde in them which will seeme godlye and restorers of the light of the Gospell For assoone as they perceyue the authoritie of any man to increase by and by the gyddinesse of ambition maketh them to enuie him and they seeke all meanes possible if any occasion serue to bring him in enuye and contempt as though they coulde not prouide for their owne honour but with the infamye of others But howe shall they be beleeued that are so desirous of the honor of the worlde Surely this is the spirite of Cain who we reade rose against hys brother for no other cause but for that he perceyued his brother was better than he and more in fauor with God than he Nowe as in religion and in the ministery of the Church it behooueth to auoyde this mischiefe so in priuate doings it becommeth diligently to auoyde all occasions of enuye and hatred if we will be called the true children of god But as in Aquila and Priscilla these vertues appeare so in Apollo maye be perceyued a rare and singuler modestie and tractabilitie For he that excelled in eloquence and in all kinde of learning is contented to be taught of a man of handycraft and of a woman vnknowne to him before this time and straungers For true is that saying of Paule that the spirites of the Prophetes are subdued vnto the Prophetes Nowe compare with this Apollo the arrogaunce of them which cannot abyde to be admonished or rebuked of their Coministers whereof there is to great a number in these dayes But as in times past the insolencie of such did much hurt vnto the Church so this is the chiefe cause in these dayes that there is such contention euerywhere bicause there are in all places which take vpon them such rule in the Church that they esteeme their brethren and Coministers but as dogges or hogs Besides these is there yet an other argument whereby Appollos declareth his feruent desyre to set forth the kingdome of God. For after he perceyued he was sufficiently instructed in the knowledge of Christ he appointed to go into Achaia to Corinth bicause he perceyued that Church had much neede of his helpe For as valyant souldyours of their owne accord choose them such places as where they see is most labour and daunger so they which will traueyle in the warfare of the Church with their commendation and the profyte of the same Church must dyligently obserue where their help is most requisite and thyther haste themselues dyligently that by their negligence the kingdome of God suffer no detriment Here also is the fayth and dyligence of the brethren of Ephesus to be obserued which would not let the faythfull Minister of Christ and one that had deserued so well of their congregation to depart without a publike testimonie of his vertuous behauiour yea they so commend him vnto the Corinthians that they also desyre them to giue him the rowme
followe this example And these were the exercises of the primitiue Churche which we reade was busily occupyed in the worde of God which thing nowe a dayes is lesse regarded of none than of those that will be called and accounted for the successors of the Apostles Furthermore let vs consider the profyte of the Apostles endeauor and traueyle which was manifolde First the worde of God is spredde ouer all Asia both among the Iewes and the Greekes For so it often commeth to passe that the fame of the gospell pierceth the mindes of those who haue not yet heard the Minister speake And the example of great and notable Cities maketh not a little for this purpose which the inhabitaunts neere about are easily allured to follow Next God himselfe worketh with Paule and by notable miracles beareth wytnesse to his doctrine For Handkerchers and Partelets brought to those that had not seene the Apostle draue away sicknesses and spirites Let no man yet ascribe diuine or godly power to the Handkerchefes or Partelets as they vse which haue thrust into the Church the superstitious worshipping of reliques For it is expressely declared in this place that God was the worker of the miracles and to Paule is nothing attributed more then the Ministerie And surely it were very ridiculous to attribute more vnto Paules Handkerchefes than to Christes cote at the touching whereof the woman diseased of the bloudy fluxe was healed not by the operation of the cote but by the vertue and power of Christ which he sayde went out from him See Marke 5. We must rather regarde the ende of those miracles which serued to set forth Paules doctrine as we haue elsewhere declared Here lyeth hid also a thirde vtilitie namely how the sicke are healed and the Demoniacks delyuered For by the gospell health of soule is taught and the Deuils kingdome destroyed bicause Iesus Christ is that blessed seede of the woman that was ordeyned to treade downe the Serpents head Let vs therefore imbrace him wyth true fayth and wholy be knyt to him that being delyuered from the tyrannye of the Deuill through his merite we may atteyne vnto true saluation and raigne with him hereafter in heauen to whom be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxxvij Homely THEN certaine of the Vagabunde Iewes exorcistes tooke vpon them to call ouer them which had euill spirites the name of the Lorde Iesus saying we adiure you by Iesu whome Paule preacheth And there were seauen sonnes of one Sceua a Iewe and chiefe of the priestes which did so And the euill spirite aunswered and sayde Iesus I know and Paule I knowe but who are yee And the man in whome theeuill spirite was ranne on them and ouercame them and preuayled against them so that they fledde out of that house naked and wounded And this was knowne to all the Iewes and Greekes also which dwelt at Ephesus and feare came on them all and the name of the Lorde Iesus was magnifyed And many that beleeued came and confessed and shewed their workes Many of them which vsed curious crafts brought their bookes and burned them before all men and they counted the price of them and founde it fiftie thousande siluerings So mightily grewe the worde of God and preuayled WE heard yesterday howe God confyrmed Paules Apostleship and the authoritie of the doctrine of the gospell among the Ephesians by many and straunge miracles It followeth nowe howe he defended the same by an example of rare seueritie against them which went about by instigation of Satan to abuse the name of Christ which Paule preached to get gaine thereby and so to bring the authority of the gospell into suspition The chiefe vse of which hystorie is to make vs vnderstande that God hath a regarde of his seruaunts and that as many as go about to deface their authoritie or are so bolde to abuse the name of Christ at their lust and pleasure shall not go vnpunished But that we may receyue the more profyte hereby let vs consider all the partes of the hystorie in that order that Luke rehearseth them The fyrst conteyneth the description of the persons and declareth what they did They were of the Iewes and none of the basest sort but the sonnes of Sceua the chiefe priest Next they are called Exorcistes whereby it appeareth their profession was to get money by exorcismes and coniuring of spirites for the which cause they vsed to go from place to place These therefore seing the Apostle in the name of Christ so mightily to controll spirites and to worke such myracles as the lyke before had not bene seene inticed wyth a hope of greater profyte and auayle take vpon them a newe forme of coniuration and vse to intermeddle the name of Christ therein It shall be good to consider dyligently whereof these kinde of people fyrst sprang among the Iewes For although Moses appointed many and dyuers offices among the Leuites yet we see he maketh no mention any where of Exorcistes It was therefore the inuention of man therfore a deceyueable thing and contrary to the lawes of god It seemeth to haue taken begynning of an olde fable wherin it is reported that Salomon had inuented by inspiration of God the science of coniuring and exorcismes against spirites and all kinde of diseases So Satan woulde haue defaced the credite of the Prophetes myracles as though they also had bene wrought rather by magicall enchauntment then by peculiar operation of Gods power to confyrme their doctrine And at length hauing thus incensed them with a foolishe and an vngodlye emulation he beganne to tell them wonders of the vnspeakeable power of the name of God and taught them to make exorcismes whereby foolishe men set vp his kingdome and pulled away the mindes of a great many from the worshipping and calling vpon god There remayne to this day certaine tokens of this olde impietie in the fables of the Iewes which they haue deuised of their Schem Hamphoras and in phisick they vse many exorcismes which is euydent by little and little crept in among the christians also not without the great hinderaunce of true godlynesse Of this profession therefore were these seauen sonnes of Sceua the chiefe priest And this is no small argument of great corruption that the Byshops children gaue their studie to wicked and deuillishe deceytes and sought to enrich themselues by an arte which was plainely forbidden by the worde of god Further this example teacheth vs howe farre errour runneth assoone as men beginne to swarue from the worde of god For as it hapned among the Iewes so we see it hath also come to passe in Poperie For where they would not seeme to want any of the orders that were in the primitiue church they haue also ordeyned Exorcistes who though for the most part they bragged of a bare name only yet so farre hath the presumption of some of them gone that they haue taken vpon them to coniure the spirites
and becke the Apostle writeth that the Deuils tremble and quake Why then are we afrayde of Satans craft or power whose helpe we see Christ here vse at his pleasure so mightilye Nowe is the Prince of this worlde throwne out of his kingdome which so long he hath so falsely claymed vsurped And it is no harde thing for them to ouercome him that are by fayth graffed in Christ. Nowe let vs come to the last part of this hystorie which conteyneth in it manifolde and singular fruite First this thing was knowne amongst all the Ephesians who were all striken of God whome they sawe so seuerely reuenge the abusing of his sonne and of his name This is the lawfull vse of Gods iudgements to put in our mindes a sense or feeling of Gods religion But O miserable wretches that we be which maye seeme altogither to be waxed deafe seeing we are mooued with no examples that God daily sheweth vppon the blasphemers and contemners of his name and worde Next many of them that beleeued came of their owne accorde and confessed their doings openly This is an euident argument of the mortifycation of the fleshe which being most desirous of honor and estimation can hardly be brought to confesse she hath erred But the desire of truth and glorye of God ouercommeth all affections of the fleshe in those that beleeue By this place it appeareth what maner of confession the Scriptures requyre of vs verily publike and open which serueth to the setting forth of Gods glorye and to the amendement of many Therefore their ignorance is very grosse which thinke by this example to establishe auricular confession wherewith this confession that Luke here speaketh of hath no affinitie For these Ephesians come of their owne accorde and confesse their olde errors giuing thankes vnto God which had vouchsafed to deliuer them from them But the Pope enforceth men agaynst their willes to confesse their secret faultes also which no manne was priuie to before We reade they made confession but once where the Pope commaundeth vs oftentimes to confesse They made open confession and that before all men But the Pope teacheth vs to whisper our sinnes in the eare of the Priest onely They by their confession sought nothing but the glory of god The Pope commaundeth to aske remission of sinnes and satisfaction of the priest What stande we long The more diligently a man examineth the circumstances of this dooing the more manifestly it shall appeere auricular confession is rather ouerthrown than confyrmed by this example But lette vs returne to the Ephesians whereof many were hytherto giuen to curious artes but are nowe so touched with the feeling of Christes spirite that they openly burne their bookes on heapes where we vnderstande not onely their Magicall bookes but also all other bookes that serued rather vnto fruitelesse and offensiue studies than vnto godlynesse such as for the most part are the bookes of Astrologie Geomantie soothsaying bookes and bookes of loue and such like He sheweth also the pryce or value of the bookes which after the Germanes account amounteth to the summe of sixe thousande sixe hundred threescore and sixe florenes By this meane the godly persons thought to take all occasion of offence both from themselues and from other in time to come And this is the true propertie of them that vnfeynedly repent that they hate the instrumentes of sinne as much as the sinne it selfe and are not grieued to lose those things which they knowe had sometime bene occasion of their fall be they neuer so precious Therefore they cannot be iudged to haue truly repented nor to vnderstande the heynousnesse of their offences which vse to retaine and keepe in these dayes the instrumentes of their euill dooinges such as are Images superstitious deckinges of Churches bookes that teach superstition amorous writings wanton apparell and innumerable such like Last of all Luke sayth that the worde of God grewe mightily and was confyrmed in the hearts of the Disciples which was an effect of their former studie For the worde of God vseth marueylously to growe if all impediments be taken out of the waye that may hinder it Let vs therfore followe the example of this famous Church that increasing daily more in fayth we may become perfyte men in Iesus Christ our Lorde to whom be prayse honor power and glory for euer Amen The Cxxviij Homelie AFTER these thinges were ended Paule purposed in the spirite when hee had passed ouer Macedonia and Achaia to go to Ierusalem saying After I haue bene there I must also see Rome So sent hee into Macedonia two of them that ministred to him euen Timotheus and Erastus but he himselfe remayned in Asia for a season The same tyme there arose no little adoe about that way For a certayne man named Demetrius a siluer smyth which made siluer shrines for Diana was not a little benefyciall to the craftes men Whome he called togither with the workemen of like occupation and sayd Sirs you knowe that by this craft we haue aduauntage Moreouer you see and heare that not alone at Ephesus but almost throughout all Asia thys Paule hath perswaded and turned awaye much people saying that they bee not Goddes which are made with handes So that not onely this our Craft commeth into perill to be set at naught but also that the Temple of the great Goddesse Diana shoulde be despysed and hir magnifycence shoulde bee destroyed whome all Asia and the worlde worshippeth BYcause Paule knewe that the Lorde had not appoynted him to be a teacher of one Nation onely therefore he thought he woulde not serue still in one Nation but preach the Gospell euerywhere vnto all people Yea he thought that on him chiefely lay the charge of all Churches as he declareth in his later Epistle to the Corinthians Wherfore being not contented here and there to gather Churches togither he goeth to see and visite those he had gathered and ordeyned least anye thing might fall downe agayne eyther by the wearysomnesse of man or by the craft and subtiltie of the Deuill We haue seene hitherto diuers ensamples of lyke endeuor wherevnto this may also be annexed that Luke telleth in the beginning of this place to the which he ioyneth a newe hystorie of sedition raysed against Paule whereby his purpose of visiting the Churches for a time was stopped The author of this deuise and counsayle was the holy spirite by whose conduct and guyding we haue often shewed that Paule beganne and tooke all his matters in hande He purposed to go into Macedonia and Achaia to visite and confyrme the Churches of the Philippians Thessalonians and Corinthians and also to gather an almesse or reliefe among them to cary to the needy brethren in Syria as may euidently be gathered of his Epistles to the Corinthians which iourney being ended he ment to go to Rome to bestowe some gift of the spirite vpon the faythfull there also and to receyue mutuall consolation of
should see him no more they would followe his example and diligently kepe the doctrine he had taught them that they would carefully watche for the sauegarde of the Churche and stoutly resist those heretickes whereof a numbre very noysome and hurtfull would follow He exhorteth them the rather by his example and vrgeth them the more earnestly bicause that as he was in his owne conscience not culpable so he communed with them to whome his credite and diligence was well knowne And in the beginning he comprehendeth brefely bothe the example of his owne life and the summe of his doctrine Concerning his liuing he sayth thus Yee knowe from the first day I came into Asia after what manner I haue beene with you at all seasons seruing the Lorde with all humblenesse of minde and with many teares and temptations which happened to mee by the laying await of the Iewes As he calleth them to witnesses so he alleageth all the time of his conuersation among them least any mighte thinke hee had counterfaited godlinesse for a small seasone as a great many vse to doe who when they haue craftily crope and gotte within men through their pretence of vertuousnesse at lengthe moste shamefully bewray their cloked naughtinesse For the wicked can not long counterfet godlinesse But bicause Paule had wholely addicted himselfe vnto Christ and to his religion therefore he alwayes obserued one tenor of conuersation and one like studie and trauaile in the Ministerie Of this studie and trauaile is it to be vnderstanded where it is sayde he serued the Lorde wherein he maketh mention of three things specially humblenesse of minde teares which the earnest desyre of all mennes saluation caused him to shed and greeuous temptations which yet could neuer plucke him from doing his office and duetie By these lette the Ministers of Churches learne what manner of men they ought to be in the Ministerie of the Churche And firste lette them laboure for Humilitie that they ascribe not to them selues impudently any Diuinitie or Godheade which is the propertie of Antichriste or contempne any persone in comparison of themselues and so arrogantly seeke rule and Lordshippe ouer their fellowe Ministers which thing Peter warneth them of in his first Epistle and fifthe Chapter For it becommeth them that will bee Christes Ministers to followe Christes ensample who as hee derogateth nothing from the glory of his Father so hee neuer disdained any persone in so muche that hee liued very familiarely with Publicanes and sinners and did witsafe to washe hys Disciples feete so leauing it to them as an Example of Humilitie teaching them that they shoulde refuse no kinde of duetifulnesse one towardes an other Unto Humilitie must bee ioyned a desire to profite all menne whiche Ministers muste seeke with all diligence yea euen with teares For hereof we haue an ensample in Christe who as Mathewe wryteth in the ninthe Chapter was moued euen from the bottome of the heart when he sawe the Iewes go astray like sheepe lacking a Shephearde And in an other place we read he wepte when hee behelde Ierusalem that vnkinde and bloudy Citie knowing that for their greeuous wickednesse and irrepentant mindes they should shortly come to destruction The like affection of Charitie we see in Moses who chose rather to bee wyped oute of the Booke of life than to see the destruction of his Countrymen Samuel the Prophete had the like in him also who hearing that God hadde forsaken Saule tooke suche a care of heart therefore that he ceased not mourning till God reprehended him for it 1. Sam. 15. and â–ª 16. And that Paule proudely bragged not of this affection bothe his faithfull and continuall diligence to sette foorthe the publike saluation proueth and also this that for the Iewes sake which were hys mortall ennemyes hee wished to be accursed And surely as many as well vnderstande the reason of their Ministerie cannot wante thys affection for where they heare that menne are borne againe by their Ministerie they take them for theyr Children whome they bryng vnto GOD and they vse to embrace them with a Fatherly affection which if any man wante doubtlesse hee aboundantly declareth that hee vnderstandeth not the dignitie of hys Ministerie But there muste bee also ioyned heereunto a thirde thing that they fall not in the time of temptation or being ouercomen with feare forsake not their Churches when persecution ariseth For Christ saithe that this is the propretie of hirelings Yea lette them thincke that their Faithe and constancie is then cheefely required when they see bothe them selues and their sheepe most of all tempted And if a manne woulde compare those that nowe a dayes will bee called Successoures of the Apostles wyth this Example of Paule it shall easely appeare howe little or nothyng of Paules heart and minde is in them bicause in pride they exceede all barbarous Princes they fill the world full of warres they haue no pitie of the sheepe that goe astray but are only careful how to prouide for them and theirs with the common losse and detriment of other men But lette vs retourne vnto Paule who rendering an accompte of hys Doctrine setteth out a perfecte patterne of the same not onely to the Ephesians and those of Asia but to all Ministers for all tymes and all places And fyrste he sayth he didde all things among them of good purpose and intente I kepte backe nothyng that was profitable vnto you but shewed you it c. The sense is that hee kepte from them nothyng that was necessarie for them to knowe The same is required of all Ministers to teache the doctrine of saluation perfectly and to keepe backe nothyng for the worldes pleasure Yea the more the worlde rageth the more muste the trumpe of the worde sounde that they suffer not the truthe to bee oppressed and ouercome with the fury of the worlde Heere is reproued the errour of them whych thinke it good to yeelde somewhat to the enimyes of truthe that they bee not the more incensed by playnenesse of teaching as thoughe they became not the fiercer throughe the slothe of Ministers whyle they thynke men feare them and the Ministers distruste their grounde and quarell It is heere chiefly to bee noted that the Apostles teache all thinges fully and perfectly that concerne the saluation of man so that there needeth no additions or patches to supply or make vp their doctrine For it is euident that Chryst concealeth nothing from them prouing by this argument that he tooke them for his friendes bycause he reuealed all thinges vnto them that he receyued of his father He promised them his spirite to prompt them and put them in remembraunce of all things which we haue seene before they receyued Therefore the doctrine of the Apostles is full and perfecte whereby they taughte Iesus Chryste onely vnto the Churche as their Epistles and Sermons aboundantly declare Therefore they do great iniurie
Ghost also his open and expresse oracles They muste be like baÌ„ds wherby our wayward striuing flesh must be brought to the obedience of faith that willingly least we fele the mightie hand of god to our great losse calamitie who bringeth theÌ„ which had lefer to folow the seÌ„suality of flesh than to obey his calling euen perforce to that he willeth Thus we read he was angry with Moses refusing the office that he offered him Exod. 4. And vnto Ieremie doing the lyke and alleaging his youthe he sayde in wrathfull wyse Saye not I am to yong For thou shalte go to all that I shall send thee vnto â–ª and whatsoeuer I commaunde thee that shalt thou speake c. Iere. 1. What happened vnto Ionas for refusing the vocation of God is more euident than nedeth rehearsal of wordes So from this matter he commeth by litle litle to his purpose saying I knowe not what shall become of me there nor what the cause is that the spirite so vrgeth me to take this iourney but the same spirite telleth me that euery where afflictions and bands are prepared for me which thing the holie Prophets in euery Church with one consent testifie Yet must I goe thorough all these pykes and daungers yea and through death also considering it so semeth good vnto God who only hath power both vpon my selfe and death This place is very worthye to be consydered bicause it may serue much both for our instruction and consolation For first it declareth the faythfull care of God which vseth to defende and prouide for those that be his For where he loueth entirely he can not chose but consider them and giue them warning in time of all thinges that shall befall them For howe can he neglecte his seruauntes that honoure him seing he foresheweth the paines of the wicked bringeth no calamitie vpon them but he first warneth them thereof by his Prophetes Nexte we see howe God also warneth those that be his Paule vnderstoode that bands afflictions were prepared for him at Hierusalem But what the ende hereof should be the holy Ghoste as yet had not reueled vnto him God therefore after a generall sorte for the most parte admonisheth those that bee his although he declare not the perticulers of euery thing For he reuealeth asmuch vnto them as is needefull for them to know so that they may prepare themselues to beare the Crosse but to leaue all the successe thereof vnto him So we haue generall predictions whereby we are admonished that we shall suffer tribulations and aduersities in the worlde The chiefe vse whereof is that we shoulde prepare our selues to beare them least if they fel on vs vnarmed they would be occasion of greater offence Thirdely it behoueth vs to obserue the counsell of God which he is wont meruellously to shewe towarde his faythfull seruaunts Paule being many times before warned of the brethren eyther by flying saued him selfe or else prudently defeated his ennimies awaytes Nowe is he also admonished of bandes and afflictions but he is so vrged and prycked forwarde by the spirit of God that he vnderstandeth he must wade through the middle of them notwithstanding the brethren greatly dissuade him to the contrarie We reade also that Iesus Chryst sometime auoyded the attemptes and laying wayte of his enimies yet at length he commeth forth to meete them when he perceiued his houre was come and that the eternall decree of his heauenly father so required These thinges teach vs that daungers are not alwayes sufficient occasions for a man to flye For when we are vrged with the sure vocation of God we must not suffer our selues to be reuoked neyther through fire nor sworde nor floudes of the maine Sea as once happened at the redde Sea from doing our duetie wherevnto we perceyue we are called of God. But bycause he woulde not put his friendes and brethren to much in feare he vseth an Apostolyke and Christian consolation saying Howe of None of these things moue me As who should say I woulde not haue you to be greeued for my sake For why should you take any sorrowe for these things that I make no accounte off Why Paule doest thou then contemne the Oracles of the holy Ghost and the louing admonitions of thy brethren No but I therfore little esteeme the present daungers that be at hande bicause I passe little of my life that is to say I esteeme not this temporall lyfe more than my vocation which the Lorde hathe appoynted me vnto Yea I desire to finishe my course ioyfully and to satisfie my office and duetie by publishing the Gospell of the grace of God in all places Therefore where I haue long sithence dedicated my lyfe vnto Chryste imprisonmentes and afflictions can not make me afrayde This example of Paule declareth howe the godly should vse themselues in aduersitie Firste they shoulde not so care for tribulations that for the auoyding of them they shoulde committe any vncomely and vnworthy parte Otherwise God will not haue vs ledde with that Stoikes indolencie but that wee shoulde not haue more consideration of our selfe than of his vocation There can bee no greater comforte in this case than if men oftentimes meditate vppon Gods prouidence which Christ setteth before his Disciples and Dauid maketh this to bee his onely defence and safest Sanctuarie that he beleeueth His fleetings are numbred with God and hys teares putte in his bottell Math. 10. Psalm 56. Nexte let them take heede that they preferre not this temporall lyfe before the eternall Let them rather consider howe God hath lente vs this lyfe to liue vnto him and if neede also so require to dye vnto him And bicause we must once dye we can neuer dye happelier than in Gods vocation For so shall that saying of Dauid be verified on vs Precious in the sighte of the Lorde is the death of his Saincts And if it be vnlawfull to preferre this lyfe before the life euerlasting howe muche lesse oughte we to preferre riches honours pleasures and suche other worldely commodities as these before the same For what aduantageth it a man to get all the worlde and to lose his soule Or what thing is so precious that it can redeeme but one soule Finally the godly muste labour all that in them is to passe all aduersities ioyfully and to accomplishe their course that is the office wherewith they are put in charge prosperously For it suâ—fiseth not to beginne well but to continue still on as wee haue often tymes declared Let all men therefore remember that this lyfe is lyke vnto a race the ende whereof is death which they moste ioyfully take holde of which do their duetie euen vnto the ende But before we go any further let vs see how Paule speaketh of the Gospell and the Ministerie thereof He calleth it the Gospell of the grace of God of the effecte thereof bycause it offereth to vs the grace
vnder foote it is impossible for common weales long to endure Moreouer the example of the Captaine teacheth vs what remaineth for them which to get the good will of men vse to giue hastie iudgement Uerily euen feare shameful trembling and a foule confusion of all things Therefore whosoeuer beare office let them be mindfull of these things and administer iudgement with deliberation and aduise And let the godly comfort themselues in that they see wicked persecutors may be so easily feared with the power of Christ to whome be praise honor power and glory for euer Amen The .xxiij. Chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The Cxlvij Homelie PAule behelde the Counsell and sayde Men and brethren I haue liued in all good conscience before God vntill this day And the high priest Ananias commaunded them that stoode by to smite him on the mouthe Then sayd Paule vnto him God shall smite thee thou painted wall Sittest thou and iudgest me after the Lawe and commaundest me to be smitten contrarie to the Lawe And they that stoode by sayd reuilest thou Gods high priest I wist not brethren that he was the high priest For it is wrytten thou shalt not cursse the ruler of thy people AS Christ oure Sauiour appointed Paule to be a chosen and called vessell for him selfe so by his Example he teacheth vs al what fauor his faithfull are like to finde in this worlde and what their duetie is in suffering aduersitie For assoone as Paule had once professed Christ hee founde them his greeuousest ennimies for whose saluation hee was continually banished Uerily euen the Iewes for whose sake hee wished to be accursed And their rage burst out so farre that they inflamed against him the Romane Captaines whome otherwise they hated worse than a tode This is the state that all the godly are in to proue their familiars and entierest acquaintaunce most ennimies vnto them whose hatred many times so burneth that they are not ashamed to aske helpe of forreine ennimies against their Christian brethren But Paules constant and fearlesse courage defendes himselfe and his cause against all the assaultes of his aduersaries with the only word and commaundemeÌ„t of God whose Example it is fitte that we also folowe â–ª when like aduersitie vrgeth vs. Furthermore this is châ—eâ—ely 〈◊〉 be maruelled at 〈…〉 â—onsolation that in all this ad◠〈◊〉 businesse Paul 〈◊〉 more 〈…〉 the captain being but an heathen a man of warre than in the 〈…〉 of hi◠〈…〉 which claimed vnto the 〈◊〉 the fame of al godlinesse 〈…〉 For the captain forbiddeth them to vse any violence and â—â—liuereth Paul being in hazard of his life out of their furious hands Again he permitteth him to alleage the lawe for him selfe and to enioy the 〈…〉 maine priuiledges At lengthe when perceiued that this matter cheefely concerned religion thinking it belonged no longer to his hearing and determination he 〈…〉 in the profession thereof For assembling 〈…〉 and Sâ—â—iues hee being â— Paulâ— out vnto them to haue his 〈…〉 tried and examined by lawe â–ª And this was prudenâ—ly done and not vniustly in as much as he was an Ethâ—icke but as we saide yesterday he is he 〈◊〉 bicause he hath a 〈◊〉 hope in the holinesse of the counsel than â—t deâ—â—â—ueth This thing the sequele folowing aboundantly declareth which sheweth howe these Priestes ioyned all kinde of impudent aâ—daâ—iâ—â—e and hipocrisâ—e togither But let vs examine euery 〈…〉 in order Lukâ— beginning with Paule teacheth howe hee behaued himselfe in the Counsell And first noting his countenance and gesture of body 〈…〉 he behelde all the beâ—che earnestly This was an argument of aâ—â—resent and constante minde wherewith it behoueth them cheefely to be armed â–ª which defend the quarell of truthe least being ouercome with feare they falsely forsake the same and incourage the wicked eâ—â—imies of Christe which commonly take heart and boldnesse vnto them of the cowardlyneâ—se of the godly In the meane season heere appeareth the veritie of Christes promisses Hee promiseth his spirite for an Adâ—ocate to those that be his which shall both comfort them and â—eache them if at any time they bee compelled to giue an accoumpte of their faithe beâ—fore any Magistrate or Counsell Therefore beeing mindefull of his promisse hee forsaketh not his Apostle in so greate and daungerous an enterprise but armeth him with inuincible courage of minde But for as muche as these promisses are generall it beehoueth vs also to take comfort of the same Then Paule beginneth his Oration and boldly pronounceth of his innocencie I sayth he haue liued in all good conscience before God vnâ—â—ll this day Which woordes are not so to be vnderstanded as though he gâ—oried that hee were cleare of all sinne and able to stande vppon his owne righteousnesse before the iudgement seate of God but hee respecteth the present matter for hys aduersaries â—â—â—used hym of hys shamefull falling from auncient Religion of impietie againste God and that like a publike ennemie hee had wickedly violated the Lawe and the Temple â–ª and all the Leuiticall seruice and had gone aboute to bring the vncleane Gentiles into the societie of Goddes people Therefore bicause none shoulde bee preuented with these wrongfull suspiâ—ions and denie hym their hearing hee cleareth him selfe in the beginning of any fault herein committed saying Hee hathe doone all things of a good conscience as touching the Office of hys Apostleshippe in so much that he was â—ble to call GOD to witnesse of hys integritie and vpryghtnesse Otherwise he confesseth him selfe euery where to be a sinner and to haue neede of Christes merite and fauoure So many times holy men in their priuate matters â–ª vse to alleage their innocencie against suche as slaunder them which notwithstanding in the sight of God humbly coÌ„fesseth them selues to be vncleane sinners wherof we haue examples in Moses Dauid and infinite others This beginning of Paules oration teacheth vs that in matters of religion we muste cheefely haue regarde vnto our conscience that nothing be done through craft or dissimulation For where we haue heerein to doe with God which searcheth the heartes and raines there is no place for subtiltie and craftie conueyance And it shall be lawfull for vs to reioyce in the integritie of our conscience if we order our religion according to the worde of God and walke diligently in his calling and not after our owne deuise and pleasure Which thing if we endeuor to doe God will mercifully pardon those daily slips of life which we coÌ„mit through the infirmitie of the fleshe bicause we turne vnto Christ and daily repent vs in him Moreouer when Paule had begoon his Oration Ananias which was president of the Counsel commaunded to smite him on the mouth either for that he begon to declare his matter before he was demaunded or else for that by so bolde a defending of his innocencie he seemed to accuse them of vnrighteousnesse and iniquitie or else for that he left out those
insolent and proude stiles which other men vsed to flatter them with For this kinde of men are easily moued to wrath specially when they suppose their estimation is lightly regarded which they farre preferre both before the glory of God and the publike saluation of man Heere let vs marke what manner of Counsels wicked Bishops vse commonly to haue Paule was burthened before with slaunders whereby they thought to bring him in hatred of all his nation And when he was about to answer thereto in a great concourse of people they disturbed him with furious clamoure and shouting Now againe as he is about to make his excuse they resist him with open violence and that in place of iustice whereof they would seeme to be great fauourers Such a Counsell for all the world was it wherein Christ was condemned when Caiphas was president And that was not much vnlike wherein Steuen was oppressed Suche also haue beene the Counsels of the Popes this many hundreth yeares as may be proued by that one Counsell of Constance where we reade the holy Martires of Châ—ist Iohn Husse and Hierome of Prage were condempned with like armoure and weapons What we may hope for at the Counsels of oure dayes appeareth aboundantly by their indictions or Bulles The crafte and impudencie whereof who so perceiueth not doubtlesse they are to be iudged voide of common sense and reason But let vs returne vnto Paule and see howe he tooke this iniurie God saith he shall smite thee O thou painted wall c. In the which words it seemeth to some that he offended against the commaundement of Christ which biddeth vs to tourne the other cheeke to him that smiteth vs on the one But he shall easily be cleared of this fault if we will weigh bothe his wordes and his person For he cursseth him not of any naughtie minde or affection but reproueth his sinne according to the office of an Apostle and sheweth that God hath a punishment prepared for him And first he calleth him painted wall euer following the example of Christ which sayth al the whole packe of them were like vnto painted sepulchers or graues And by and by he rendreth a reason why he so sayth adding Thou sittest to giue iudgement according to the Lawe That is to say Thou claymest vnto thee power to giue Iudgement vpon mee vnder a proud pretence of Lawe and commaundest me to bee smitten contrary to Lawe therefore thou aunswerest not vnto the person and name of a Iudge but vnder the cloke therof hydest an heart that cannot abide the truth and that thirsteth for bloud Therfore God wil strike thee although there be no man to take vengeance on thee These things I say Paule speaketh according to the office of a Minister and not of any reprochful or slaunderous intente or meaning And it is no doubt but he had a respect vnto the example of Christ who when the Byshops seruant smote him tourned not his other cheeke but earenestly rebuked his stoute and contumelious doing And here in this place we are taught that the pacience which holy Scripture commaundeth is not such a kinde of cowardlinesse as giueth the wicked leaue to do what they lust For although we be commaunded paciently to suffer whatsoeuer God sendeth yet must we not flatter the wicked nor dissemble Gods iudgementes Also here may all they which are in office learne a generall doctrine and rule For that which Paule threatned vnto Ananias chaunced not long after For about the beginning of the Iewes warres he was cruelly slaine by Manaim Captaine of a sort of rebellious Iewes being well worthie of suche a death who feared not himselfe to rebell against God and they shall neuer escape the handes of Gods vengeance which follow him in striuing against God and violently oppressing them that be innocentes or else suffering them to bee oppressed by other The Lorde shall smite them whome the Scriptures euery where teach to be the only and true president and reuenger of al iudgements And although they be able to fray men yet shall they neuer escape the handes of god We haue examples in Pharao Saule Achab and many others of whome prophane hystories make mention But as Paule was declaring these things by and by there starte foorth certaine that rebuke him but there was none that would reprehende the vniust force of Ananias For as tyrants take vpon them to do what they lust so they easily find flatterers to defend their authority against al men Whereby it commeth to passe that where they do al men open iniurie yet no man dare complaine on them A like tyrannie hath the Cleargie vsed many yeares in the Church For where the Monkes and Priests molested al men at their plesure yet were they counted very holie and to haue nicked them but in worde onely was a very dangerous and heinous matter But Paule by a feate Ironie and kinde of scorne reproueth this tyrannous hypocrisie saying I wist not brethren that he was the high priest As though he should say Who would take him for the high Priest in whom he sawe nothing worthie such name and title For if he be the high Priest why heareth he not mens causes quietly and with indifferencie Otherwise I am not ignorant that by Gods lawe no man oughte to cursse the lawful Magistrate Reade Deuter. 22. Exod. 22. Magistrats are taught by this Ironie of Paule that then their authoritie is inuiolable and safe when they do their office and shew themselues to be such as al wise men may iudge worthy of that honour For vnies they promote â–ª the glorie of God refrayne from violence defende good lawes and be an example of honest lyfe the same may be sayde vnto them that Paule in this place obiecteth to Ananias For who will take blasphemers bloudsuckers lawe-breakers drunkardes adulterers gamsters ruffians and such lyke companions for senatours and rulers we knowe verily that God of his iust iudgement sometime ordeyneth such whose misgouernance the godlie in temporall matters most paciently suffer But if the same be not honored as they woulde let them not maruell but acknowlede their fault and amend For in so doyng they shall haue Iesus Christ the king of kinges and Lord of Lordes the defender of their aucthoritie To whom be praise honour power and glorye for euer Amen The Cxlviij Homelie WHen Paul perceiued the one part were Saduceis and the other Phariseis he cryed out in the counsel Men and brethren I am a Pharisey the sone of a Pharisey of the hope and resurrection from death I am iudged And when he had so sayde there arose a debate betwene the Phariseis and the Saduceis and the multitude was deuided For the Saduceis sayde there is no resurrection neyther Angell nor spirite But the Phariseis graunt both And there arose a great crye and when the Scribes which were of the Phariseis part arose they stroue saying We fynde no euill in this man though a spirite or
danger of the Iewes therfore he first sheweth the reason therof which was that he was deliuered through the help of God and therfore ought not to be slacke in his office Thus he ascribeth vnto God the benifite of his deliuery whereof it seemed the captaine was the aucthor bicause he knewe the captaine was led by the hand and spirite of god In the meane season Paules example teacheth vs that those which haue once or twice proued felt the helpe of God ought to be inflamed with greater diligence and not as some vse to waxe the more remisse and negligent as though they had fulfilled all their duetie at once For beside that we owe vnto God all kinde of duetie the lawe of thankfulnesse requireth the more faithe and industrie of vs least we might seeme vnkiâ—de to God our benefactoure Againe bicause he would not seeme importune in preaching vnto them he declareth that he is bounde in duetie so to doe For hee was detter vnto all men both smal and great Thus he stirreth vp their mindes to thinke that the gospell appertained vnto them also This is very diligently to be considered that we heare the gospell is preached by the commaundement of God to men of all states degrees For hereby we learne that there is no respect of persons with God yea that he would haue all sortes of men to be saued Therefore he hathe appoynted the ministers of the word to be the disposers and stewardes of all his houshold Lette this comfort them that are coÌ„passed about with troubles also teach both ministers and hearers their duetie that neither the one at their pleasure get and procure them disciples after their owne calling nor those other thinke they be at libertie and not bounde to the rule of the gospell At lengthe he repeateth what he taught verely none other thing but that that Moses and the Prophetes had foreshewed in times past He comprehendeth all his doctrine in three Articles which it is euident were then moste in controuersie The first was that Christ was that sauioure that was promised should suffer death for vs For this of all other things was coumpted moste absurde as the wordes read in the twelfth of Iohn abundantly declare The seconde was that the same Christe should rise againe from the dead and that the first but not in order For we reade that diuers other before Christ were raised againe but in worthinesse and in power as the aucthor of the resurrection and life of all men The thirde was that hee should illuminate with his worde and spirite not only the Iewes but also the Gentiles And that Paule declared these things with many places and testimonies of scripture the onely exclamation of Festus shall afterwarde proue And surely there are euery where extant many testimonies bothe of Moses and the Prophets wherby to proue all these things Wherupon we gather againe that the doctrine of the gospell is no newe thing resting or consisting in a few of persons but of most antiquitie and allowed with the consent of all ages Furthermore howe in the scriptures are contained whatsoeuer things are needeful to be beleeued seeing that Paul was able to proue all the mysteries of Christian faith by them Lette vs therfore be contented with them only and constantly holde faâ—â— the faithe contained in them that by theÌ„ we may attaine to life euerlasting through Iesus Christ our Lord to whome be blessing honoure power and glory for euer Amen The Clxv. Homelie AS he thus spake for him selfe Festus said with a loud voice Paule thou art beside thy selfe Much learning doth make thee madde And Paule saide I am not madde moste deare Festus but speake forthe the wordes of truthe and sobernesse For the King knoweth of these things before whom also I spake freely Neither thinke I that any of these things are hidden froÌ„ him for this thing was not done in a corner King Agrippa â–ª beleeuest thou the Prophetes I wotte well that thou beleeuest Agrippa saide vnto Paule Somwhat thou bringest me in minde for to become a christian And Paule saide I would to God that not only thou but also all that heare me to day were not somewhat only but altogither suche as I am except these bands And when he had thus spoken the king rose vp and the deputie and Bernice and they that sate with them And when they were gone aparte they talked betweene them selues saying This man dothe nothing worthy of death or of bonds Then saide Agrippa vnto Festus this man mighte haue bene let lose if he had not appealed vnto Caesar. AFter Luke hathe declared Paules oration he sheweth what effect it toke with the hearers And this is a very worthy place to be considered For in two examples he describeth two kindes of men which heare the word of God in vaine The end and vse of all these things is that both ministers may learne how to deale with such fortes of men and also all others vnderstand what to beware of if they will heare the worde of God to their profite and commoditie The first kinde is set out in the example of Festus the Deputie who is a president of vngodly persones and of those which haue no knowledge nor taste at all of any godlinesse Where we haue first to consider Festus and then Paule He gaue eare vnto Paule declaring his visions and prouing al the mysteries of the christian faith and mans saluation by the testimonies of the scriptures whereof he had neuer heard any thing at all as being a Gentile which had more vnderstanding by all likelihode in warres than in religion Wherfore he supposeth that Paule in reasoning of such profouÌ„d and difficulte matters was madde and like vnto those that in their frantike fittes vse to imagine with themselues monstrous and wonderfull things and so vtter them without all reason and very importunately hee interrupteth Paule in his speaking Yet in this one thing he is not altogither vnreasonable that he imputeth the wante of wit which he supposed to be in Paule to ouermuche studie of learning vpbraiding him with none other thing as many vse to do in these dayes This example teacheth vs how litle the word of god preuaileth with theÌ„ which are led only with mans reason For this is their coÌ„mon property to couÌ„t that a mockery that passeth the reach of their capacitie reason Wheras in the mean season they vnderstand nothing lesse than the things belonging to the spirite of god Therfore it caÌ„not be choseÌ„ but they must thinke the gospel of Iesus Christ crucified to be the greatest foolishnesse in the worlde bicause there is nothing so absurde and voide of reason as to aske and hope for saluation in him which was hanged and died on the Crosse among theeues and murtherers Therefore that that happened vnto Paule preaching before Festus the same we read happened before vnto the Prophets and afterward vnto the successoures of the Apostles also namely
more examples heereof than Agrippa in these dayes and that wee hearde not euery where suche as giue the gospell a singular commendation but yet folowe the doctrine of Antichrist still for feare of losing their heades and honor or else for fear of putting their life in danger In the meane season there appeareth in these men what a diuine and wonderful force the Gospel is of which wresteth out of them euen against their willes and striue they neuer so much to the contrary the confession of the truth yet it nothing profiteth them bicause they dare to set them selues against the holy Ghoste But as Paule very wisely and stoutly answereth Festus so bicause hee was able to doe no more he setteth against the wordes of Agrippa a very christian wishe and inflamed with great feruencie of charitie I wold wish saith he of God that not onely thou but also all those that heare mee this day were not only in parte but wholy suche as I am these bondes excepted And there is no doubt but that Paule wished these things euen from the heart who otherwheres prayed for the Iewes bothe day and nighte and wished to be accurssed for their sakes We are taught by the way that it is not sufficient for vs to beleeue in parte but that there is required of vs euery day an increasing in faith that we may at length growe into a perfite man in Christ Iesus And the opinion of those men is not to be allowed which suppose one or two Articles to be sufficient vnto saluation For so all the other should be vnprofitable and superfluous which thing shuld derogate muche both from the wisedome of God and also from his goodnesse Moreouer Paules wishe teacheth vs that Ministers haue no iurisdiction or power vpon the mindes of men but that the spirite of God only worketh in them effectuously For why should Paule trouble himselfe in vaine wishes if he had beene able to haue tourned Agrippa his minde But see what is saide to this purpose bothe by Christe and by Paule And we muste not let this passe howe Paule excepteth his bondes For althoughe they were nothing greeâ—ous vnto him and that he knewe wel the cheefe glory of his Ministerie consisted in them yet he wished the quietnesse and peace of other men as farre forth as it stode with the commoditie of their faithe and saluation For thus it becommeth all men to carie their owne crosse paciently yet in the meane season to prouide for all other mennes commoditie and tranquillitie as muche as they are able Heereby it appeareth with what spirite they are led which enuie at all mennes felicitie or else of rash iudgement condemne them as no good Christians whoÌ„ they see liue in any commodious or wealthy wise After these things Luke ioyneth the ende of all this dooing namely howe all the assembly and auditorie brake vppe and departed beeing neuer a whitte the better by reason of the impedimentes before rehearsed But thys is wonderfull that Paule is absolued and acquited againe by the consente of all menne and yet for all that they sette him not at libertie Whereby it appeareth howe little the worlde regardeth the state of the Godlye whome they see afflycted wythoute deserte The innocencie of Paule so often tymes tryed maketh muche for the setting foorth of the dignitie of the Christian fayth Which thing also reproueth the temeritie of those men which cry out in these dayes that the doctrine of the Gospell is sedicious seeing that Paule a most earnest preacher of the gospel was able so oftentimes to purge himself from the crime of sedition before prophane and heathen Iudges Let no man therefore be moued with the slaunders of this worlde but being constant in the doctrine of true fayth let vs boldely serue God which defendeth those that worship him in the middle of the tempestes of this worlde and giueth them the inheritaunce of his kingdome by Iesus Chryste our Lorde to whom be prayse honour power and glory for euer Amen The .xxvij. Chapiter vpon the Actes of the Apostles The Clxvj. Homelie WHen it was concluded that we should sayle into Italie they deliuered both Paule and certayne other prisoners vnto one named Iulius an vnder Captayne of Caesars souldiours And we entred into a shippe of Adramicium and loosed from lande appoynted to sayle by the coastes of Asia one Aristarchus out of Macedonia of the Countrey of Thessalonia tarrying styll with vs And the next day we came to Sidon And Iulius courteously intreated Paule and gaue him libertie to goe vnto his friends and to refresh him selfe and when we had launched from thence we sayled harde by Cypers bicause the winds were contrary And when we had sayled ouer the sea of Cylicia and Pamphilia we came to Myra which is in Lycia And there the vndercaptayne founde a ship of Alexandria that sayled into Italie and he put vs therein And when we had sayled slowly many dayes and scarse were come ouer agaynst Cindus bicause the winde withstoode vs we sayled harde by the coste of Candy ouer agaynst Salmo and with much worke sayled beyonde it and came to a place which is called the fayre hauens nye whervnto was the citie of Lasea THe Euangelist Luke in this Chapiter describeth the paynefull and daungerous nauigation of Paule the Apostle sent vnto Rome to appere before Caesar. Where surely at the first sighte suche great diligence of the holy Ghost might seeme vayne superfluous but if a man would weigh euery thing thoroughly he shuld perceiue many things in the same moste worthy to be knowen and considered For this Hystorie teacheth vs what the state of the godly is in this world It setteth foorth vnto vs in Paule examples of pacience and constancie it teacheth vs moreouer the infallible truth of Gods promises For although al things in the world semed to go crosse with Paul to hinder him from coÌ„ming to Rome yet the truth of God which had promised he should be brought before Caesar brusteth through al these impedimeÌ„ts There are yet besides this many other things ful of comfort instruction which we shal consider in their places First is declared how the Apostle was sent vnto Rome where mentioÌ„ is made of one Iulius a Centurion or pâ—â—ie Capitayne vnto whome Festus deliuered Paule among other prisoners to be carried Heere is to be noted a singular diligence of the Romanes in administring the lawe considering they take suche paynes and be at so great charges with sending of prisoners from one place to an other There are also diuerse other examples of this thing which gate them singular commendation and glory Yea it is euident that by this meane chiefly they aduaunced theÌ„ selues to so great a glory of Empire And the Scripture playnly teacheth both in the .lxxij. Psalme and in other places that there is no more ready or commodious way than this either to conserue or to enlarge Empires and kingdomes
Then Iupiters priest which dwelt before their Citie brought Oxen and garlandes vnto the porch and woulde haue done sacrifice with the people WHen our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ fyrst sent forth his Apostles to preache the Gospell he warned them of nothing so diligently as of persecutions that shoulde come vnto them in going about that businesse Of these he foretolde they shoulde suffer both many and grieuous not hereby meaning through feare to dismay them but to arme them with fayth against troubles foreseene that thereby they might learne to ouercome them Paule and Barnabas the chosen vessels of Christ well vnderstoode this thing who at the speciall commaundement of the holye ghost were sent forth as we hearde before to preach among the Gentyles For they vse such fayth and constancie in their office and charge that after persecution as men increased with more force and strength they returne with more alacritie to their office againe For being driuen out of Antioch they fyll Iconium with the doctrine of christ Agayne beinst expulsed Iconium by reason of a sedition there raysed they come to Lystra and Derba and there they beginne to teach And it is sayde they preached the Gospell least any man might thinke they had chaunged their doctrine for their enimies pleasure Their constancie is set forth to be imitated of all men to th ende that they which will seeme the true worshippers of Christ shoulde giue no place to the wicked enimies of the worde For he is vnworthy of Christ that more setteth by the friendship of this vntowarde and adulterous worlde than by the glory of christ Howbeit bicause mention was made of myracles whereby God gaue testimonie to the Apostles doctrine nowe Luke rehearseth one myracle among a great many which by reason of the effect falling out thereof seemed verye worthy to be declared For the more profyte that may come vnto vs by the consideration thereof fyrst we will discusse the myracle with the circumstances and then declare the effect thereof Luke beginneth with the description of him on whome the myracle was wrought He was a townesman of Lystra many wayes very miserable For he was lame of his feete and that from his mothers wombe so that thereby it appeareth his disease was incurable such as they be for the most part that cleaue to vs from our natiuitie and birth It is also added that he neuer went on his feete or walked So diligent a description of this Creple maketh for the certaintie of the myracle that the power of Christ might appeare the more euident in whose name not long after he was healed Here is to be obserued how Christ commonly setteth forth the glorye of his name by them which eyther are sicke of incurable diseases from their natiuitie or else are otherwise in great calamitie Such an one we reade the blinde man was whom Christ restored to his sight Such another was he that had the Palsie who at length after he had bene .xxxviij. yeares diseased was restored againe to his health Such an one was the woman which had eyghtene yeares gone stowping and bowed as it were togither Such were the Demoniakes that so raged and were by his benefyte deliuered These thinges serue fyrst for our consolation that we shoulde not take the aduersities that God sendeth impaciently considering that hereby Christ knoweth howe to fetch matter to glorifye his name by For God so little hateth vs therefore that rather by bearing them pacientlye he maketh vs the instruments of his glory Furthermore they make for our instruction that we rashly ryde not on them whome God hath punished with anye deformities or blemishes of nature For according to the saying of Salomon he that derideth the poore contemneth god his maker so is he very wicked which by tauntes and scornes nicketh them whom God hath chastened or afflicted with his hande Which thing is the cause that the lawe pronounceth them accursed that layeth a stumbling blocke in the blindes waye or curseth the deafe Let vs see what this Creple did before he was made whole He heard Paule preach and beleeued he should be made whole Whereby it appeareth that Paule preached of the saluation of christ Which when the creple heard to be confyrmed with many myracles he conceyued also good hope of his restitution who by like had also some secret suggestion of the holy spirite forasmuch as there is no promises vniuersall that promiseth health of bodye to all that beleeue in the name of christ Luke ment to shewe the cause of his saluation where he sayth hee beleeued For all the Scripture teacheth vs that by faith we are made partakers both of Christ and of all his benefytes and Christ many times teacheth vs the same saying when he healed any Be it done vnto thee according to thy fayth or thy fayth hath saued thee or made thee whole It is very worthy to be considered how fyrst it is sayde he hearde and afterwarde mention is made of his beliefe which he gatte by hearing the worde This teacheth vs after what sort and meanes fayth commeth vnto vs It is manifest that faith is the gift of God and that it consisteth not in the will eloquence or wisedome of manne For no man knoweth the father but the sonne and hee to whome the sonne will open him And God vseth men for Ministers and instrumentes of his worde when he meaneth to teach men his word according to that saying of Paule We be the Ministers of Cod by whome you haue beleeued euen as the Lorde gaue euery man grace Therfore whosoeuer will attaine vnto fayth must diligently harken to the worde of god For how shall they beleeue except they haue hearde howe shall they heare without a Preacher for faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God. Wherefore Christ ioyning both these togither sayth He that heareth my word and beleeueth in him that sent me hath life euerlasting These things serue for commendation of the outward word that we contemne it not nor imagine another word of God nor search for such wayes of fayth as the Saintes neuer knewe of Which who so doe they lye open commonly to the assaults of the Deuill and are troubled with marueylous illusions and fare like men which hearing howe God giueth the encrease of corne leaue of tillage a thing that God hath ordeyned for the maintenance of man. After this Luke sheweth the myracle For Paule well beholding this Creple perceyued certaine tokens of fayth in him which coulde not be without some secret working of the holy spirite For who is able by a mans countenance which is the most variable and deceyueable thing that is to iudge surely of any mannes faith it must needes therefore be the suggestion of the spirite that certifyed Paule of this lame mannes fayth Then turning about vnto him he giueth him perfyte helth of his body And as it is written in
certaine auncient copyes of great credite he sayth I saye vnto thee in the name of Iesus Christ stande vpright vpon thy feete For it is not credible that those fyrst wordes wherein the name of Christ is alleaged were of Paule omitted as it is read in the common copyes and translation bicause this was the onely ende and marke both of the Apostles doctrine and myracles to bring men to beleeue that Christ was their sauiour And this worke on both sides proceeding of faith wanted not a prosperous successe For he by and by which hitherto had alwayes bene lame start vp and walked Thus God by this myracle gaue testimonie to the Apostles doctrine as yesterday was declared And bicause the myracles of Christ and the Apostles commonly set forth vnto vs the maner of our saluation and redemption therfore we will in this lame man briefly touch the same This lame man or Creple is a paterne or example of the state and condicion of vs all yea of all mankinde For as this man is lame and that from his mothers wombe euen so all we be weake and lame vnto all things belonging to our saluation And this infyrmitie cleaueth to vs euen from our mothers wombe as who be conceyued and borne in sinne And if we consider our life passed we shall see that we neuer walked to say in the waies of God which ledd vs to the inheritance of eternall life For we haue all strayed out of the waye like sheepe euery one of vs hath followed his owne wayes And God himselfe testifyeth that the imaginations of men are euill euen from their childehoode Therefore looke in what case this lame man was as touching his body the same case be we all in as concerning our soule and looke howe farre the soule passeth the bodye and in so much more miserable a case it shall appeare we be Therefore there is no health in our selues but we must needes looke it without our selues euen there where this lame man founde it He heard the Gospell of Iesus Christ and by his power he beleeued he shoulde be made whole and by faith obtayned his desire We must go the selfesame way to be saued Lette vs heare the Gospell and beleeue in Iesus Christ which is preached in the same Gospell and streightwaye we shall be saued He it is that deliuereth all them from their sinnes that beleeue in him bicause he is made sinne for vs that we through him might be made that righteousnesse that is acceptable before God. It is he that regenerateth vs and who by the immortall eternall seede of heauenly generation healeth the sores and maladies of our corrupt nature It is he that instructeth vs with fresh force so that we that were not able of our selues to thinke one good thought are able by him to doe all things and as long as we abide in him we bring forth much fruite And bicause he only is able to worke these things he only is to be taken for our sauiour and we being in misery and like to perishe must out of hande seeke for him to be our Phisition and none other Also we are taught by example of this lame man what the dutie of them is whome Christ hath thus healed and deliuered He at Paules calling start vp by and by and walked So when Christ calleth vs let vs forthwith rise vp out of the myre wherin we haue to long sticked casting away the works of our corrupt blind flesh let vs walk in the ways of the lord These things might be more copiously dilated with many examples amplified but it may suffise by these few words to giue occasion to think further herof to those which are feruent in the studie of godlines Nowe come we to the seconde part of this place where the effect of the myracle is described which fell out farre otherwise than Paule purposed For as by his doctrine so by the myracle he ment to trayne his hearers vnto christ But they take occasion thereby to start from christ For being deceyued with the olde fables of Poetes they suppose the Apostles are Goddes which tooke vppon them the fourme or similitude of men and so came downe into the earth And perhaps they called to minde the comming downe of Iupiter and Mercurie to Lycaon their progenitor For these two cried they were come downe from heauen and most foolishly applied their names vnto the Apostles For they say Barnabas is Iupiter either bicause he was the auncienter man or else bicause of his graue countenance and they thinke Paule is Mercury the gods interpreter messenger bicause he spake vnto the people And iumpe at that time cōmeth Iupiters Priest which more pricketh these mad men forward For bringing Oxen garlands with him he maketh preparation for a sacrifyce according to the maner of the Gentyles This is a most notable example teaching vs howe easily mans nature swarueth from true godlynesse vnto superstition and ydolatrie and howe harde a thing it is to put errors away which haue bredde in vs from our tender yeares Not long before these people of Lycaonia gaue eare to Paule preaching of Christ. They sawe a myracle also wrought in the name of christ Yet the olde perswasion of the Goddes comming downe vnto the earth remayneth still in their mindes and they take occasion of foule error of that whereof they shoulde haue catched holde of godlynesse Howbeit we all confesse that they were both foolishly and wickedly deceyued But howe more foolishe than these are the Papistes which yet vse to bragge of the name of christ They confesse the Apostles are but men and the seruants of Christ whose ministerye it pleased him to vse in setting forth hys kingdome And yet they make Gods of them and attribute vnto them those things which belong to God onely and ought to be ascribed to no creature without the prophane contempt of the true liuing god For they teach vs that they are to be inuocated in daungers and prescribe vnto them their diuers properties prerogatiues as foolish as euer the heathen did in their Gods appoynting one a Patrone for prisoners another for those in daunger of shipwracke another for traueylers by the way other for those in perill of fyre And bicause they cannot tell when they haue played the fooles ynough where they confesse that these Saints haue suffred death for Christes sake yet they ascribe vnto them a great part of the glory of Christ feygning that they are intercessors and aduocates vnto God for them and making their vowes and prayers vnto them Let vs be ashamed therefore to take such paynes in confuting the follye of the Gentyles seeing there is much more folly to be founde among the professors of Christes religion Furthermore the holy ghost setteth out vnto vs in this example the beginning and proceeding of Idolatrie The beginning of all error hath bene the ignorance of the true God
their beliefe Yet bicause he woulde seeme to doe nothing rashly he sent Timotheus and Erastus which were of his familiers before meaning himselfe to followe not long after if that vprore begoonne at Ephesus had not stayed him a good many of dayes Againe by this example it appeareth howe needefull it is for the conseruation of the Church to be very carefull seeing the moste paynefull Apostle which had as yet so much to doe was faine so often to go visite and confyrme the Churches before ordeined Therefore they bewray their fylthy sluggishenesse wicked arrogancy that thinke the zeale which the Ministers now a daies vse in this behalfe is vnprofytable or superfluous Also in Paule appeareth the property of true faith bicause she is not ydle and slothfull but maketh men diligent in their vocation For where she burneth in the zeale of the glory of God and loue of hir neighbour it cannot be that she will stande still ydle no she will be ouercome with no traueyle or daunger Which is more euident by this onely example of Paule than needeth long profe Let euery man apply this to himselfe and by following it declare his faith by his works Moreouer it appeareth that fayth is circumspect also bicause Paule whome the holye ghost guided in all his doings sendeth such men before him as he knewe were trustye For as true beleeuers when they haue the expresse commaundement of God followe it without any staggering although the fleshe suggest diuers things to the contrarye so in other thinges whereof they haue no certaine commaundement of God they doe all thinges prudently and circumspectly for feare they might obscure the glory of God and giue the weake an occasion of stumbling And this is the safest way we can vse in taking of things in hande c. Howbeit although Paule was scarce anye where receyued with more good will than among the Ephesians and had taught there two yeares togither with great vtilitie and successe so that not onely many of the people beleeued but also he had gotten many of the chiefe of Asia to be his friends as hereafter shall appeare yet at length he fyndeth no better curtesie than that we haue hearde he founde so often in other places namely troubles and publike sedition wherewith he was so tossed and turmoyled that he reckeneth the daunger he was in at Ephesus among the greatest troubles that euer he was in For he writeth that he there fought with beastes and was in despayre of his life 1. Cor. 15. 2. Cor. 1. c. Luke describeth all this hystorie marueylous diligently bicause in it as in a glasse the propertie and condicions of the enimies of truth their craftes and weapons are set forth to be beholden and also it appeareth howe God vseth moste faythfully to defende both his seruants and the truth In this place fyrst he proponeth the summe of the matter and then next he sheweth the beginners of the sedition with the oration of Demetrius who was the cause and stirrer of all this tragedie incensing the mindes of his adherentes against Paule At that time sayth he there arose much adoe about that way He calleth the Christian sect or religion a way which the aduersaries woulde haue oppressed The time is diligently to be obserued which sheweth vs howe thys stirre was made when Paule had set al things in an order at Ephesus was minded to go to the Macedonians and Corinthians and had sent two of his companions before to prepare all things necessary By which example we are admonished that we must alwaye be watchfull but chiefely when matters seeme in safetie and out of all daunger For Satan neuer resteth but being driuen out of his holde seeketh meanes to returne againe as Christ teacheth And there want not examples of such as being grieuously offended with sodayne crosses and troubles haue fallen from the fayth Let it yet comfort vs that how much so euer our enimie rage and raue yet hath he no power vppon Christ ne yet vppon those which by fayth are graffed in Christ yea being long agone vanquished he doth but lighten as out of a Basen and shewe counterfeyte scarmuches of fyght whereby to fraye vntryed and vnskylfull myndes But let vs see the author and instruments of this vprore Demetrius the Siluersmith was the Capitaine of them a welthy man and one that made Syluer shrynes and such other gay geere in the honor of Diana and therby was an occasion that the men of his occupation gate much money Diana was worshipped as we shewed aboue among the Ephesians vnder the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Multimannuia whome they being seduced by gentile superstition beleeued to be a Goddesse that nourished and fedde all lyuing creatures The Temple of this Goddesse was the famousest and most sumptuous in all the worlde vnto the which there were Pilgrimages instituted from all places of Asia both farre and neere which was the cause that they that made implementes of superstition gat very much daylie by straungers that came thether Therefore they could not abyde the doctrine of Paule which at once ouerthrew both their superstition and all their hope of gayne These men therefore being called togyther by Demetrius go about to oppresse Paule by sedition knowing that by no force of reason they were able to conuince hym Here therefore it appeareth as euidently as may be that the occasions of sedition ought not to be ascribed to the gospell or ministers thereof For as the fayth that they preache vniteth vs to God so it chiefely commendeth vnto vs charitiye and concorde And here Demetrius is expressely named for the begynner of this sedition and not Paule who for two yeres before had so taught that he had shewed no token at all of a seditious person And of this kinde there are many examples both in this booke and also in other hystories Whereby we learne that they ought not ouer soone to be credited which accuse the gospell and preachers thereof of sedition but let vs searche for the truth farther and it shall appeare that they commonly are the fyrst begynners of sedition which would lay the fault thereof vpon other And such for the most parte are they which lyke Demetrius and his Complyces eyther lyue of craftes and trades forbidden by God or else hunte after game and pleasure The standard bearer among these men is the Byshop of Rome and his creatures the Cardinals Byshops Monkes and priestes For the greatest share of lucre and aduauntage by superstition commeth to hym He causeth his creatures also to get much money while being marked with his badge he gyueth them power to buye and sell that is to make marchaundize of of Gods worde and to chop and chaunge the same But all these can not abyde the truth of the gospell which lyke a sharpe whyppe shaken with the hande and spirite of Christ dryueth all marchaunting out of the Temple and ouerturneth the tables of
the exchaungers of money Next vnto these are Kinges Princes and all the great trayne of noble menne in this worlde For superstition is gainefull vnto them also bicause vnder the pretence hereof they prouide for numbers of their children and the defence of their dignitie whyle by their authoritie they thrust them into Bishopprickes Abbacies and Cardynalshippes which perhaps otherwyse should be set to Marchaunts trade or to get their lyuing with their hands which seemeth to them the heynousest matter in the worlde Nowe both these sortes togyther helpe the inferior sort of the commons which lyue eyther by Monkes and priestes or by these nobles For these commons being of a seruile nature and disposition and fearing to dye for famishment are soone perswaded to anye thing by these Demetrij Adde vnto all these such as eyther desire and seeke to lyue lycentiously or else such as follow their pleasures and gaines by mischieuous meanes as are vsurers whoremongers drunkardes hyred Souldyours and all such other lyke For these people bicause their workes be naught would not be reprooued and therefore they wishe the lyght of the gospell which bewrayeth their dooings at once extinguished These I say are the begynners of sedition against the gospell as no man can denye which will dyligently viewe the vsage of our dayes But chiefely Demetrius oration is to be considered the proposition and state whereof is that Paule ought not to be suffered which by his doctrine draweth men from the olde religion He confyrmeth his proposition wyth three reasons or arguments which vse to be of great force in the kinde deliberatiue The fyrst is taken of commoditie or profyte wherevnto the hungryer and poorer sorte haue alwayes a specyall regarde you knowe sayth he that by this craft we haue aduauntage What remayneth then but that you must perishe for hunger if you suffer your occupation to be ouerthrowne by Paules doctrine The second reason he borroweth of necessitie you see and heare that not onely at Ephesus but almost throughout all Asia thys Paule hath perswaded c. Therfore this matter can be driuen of or borne with no longer but it is needefull with speede to prouyde a remedie The thirde argument he fetcheth of honestie saying Not onely this our craft commeth into perill to be set at naught but also the Temple of the great Goddesse Diana should be despised and hir magnificence destroyed whome all Asia and the worlde worshyppeth As though he should say O companions what infamie shall we purchase vnto our selues if we suffer that religion to decay amongst vs which hath bene so many ages of so great authoritie in all the worlde Also in this oration appeare the craftes and vsages of the wicked who incensed and led with the desyre of priuate lucre onely wyll yet be counted for the defenders of religion Such an one doth the holye-ghost describe Caiaphas to be Iohn 11. Such are the talkes of the Monkes in these dayes and of all those which vpholde and maintaine Poperie amongst whome a man shall scarce fynde one so plaine as this Demetrius which doth not dissemble but that his chiefest respect was for hys priuate gaine and aduauntage Let vs learne to suspect these clamoures and to marke better wherevnto they tende It appeareth also in this place with what arguments most times the wicked vse to defende their superstition Uerily with the consent of the vnlearned multitude with the authoritie of kings and princes with the pompe and shewe of outwarde holynesse with contynuaunce of tyme but chiefely with the pretence of priuate gaine and aduauntage These things are common nowe a dayes if a man would marke the talke of our aduersaries But it is a foule fault for christians to vse the argumentes of the heathen in matters of religion which ought to be iudged and determyned by scripture onely Fynally by Demetrius owne saying may be gathered what force and power the gospell is of For he confesseth that by Paules teaching in two yeares space that famous temple was brought in daunger which all Asia was in buylding about the space of two hundred and twentie yeares as we declared erewhyle and which the barbarous people spared in the Persian warres where they set fyre on all other churches He complayneth also that all mennes mindes for the most part were turned from worshipping of Diana But it is euident this coulde be done by no mannes power or authoritie We are also taught that men haue then profyted well in the Gospell when their mindes are wholy turned from superstition and Idolatrie For as long as they hang in suspence hereof it is certaine their mindes are not lightened with the truth Let vs therefore examine our selues after this rule and casting awaye all superstition turne with feruent fayth to Iesus Christ our Lorde to whom be prayse honor power and glorye for euer Amen The Cxxix Homelie WHEN they hearde these sayinges they were full of wrath and cryed out saying Great is Diana of the Ephesians And all the Citie was on a rore and they rushed into the common hall with one assent and caught Gaius and Aristarchus men of Macedonia Paules companions When Paule woulde haue entred in vnto the people the Disciples suffred him not But certayne of the chiefe of Asia which were his friendes sent vnto him desiring him that he woulde not preace into the common hall Some therefore cryed one thing and some another and the congregation was all out of quiet the more part knewe not wherefore they were come togither Some of the company drewe forth Alexander the Iewes thrusting hym forwardes But Alexander beckened with the hande and would haue gyuen the people an aunswere When they knewe that he was a Iewe there arose a showte almost for the space of two houres of all men crying great is Diana of the Ephesians THe Euaungelist Luke by the instinct of the holye Ghost setteth out in thys booke not onely the persecutions layde vppon the Apostles by Magistrates and order of lawe but also the raging seditions of the furious commons amongst which this deserueth to be counted the chiefe which was begonne by Demetrius agaynst Paule at Ephesus The vse of this and all other lyke serueth for two causes speciallye First they serue for the instruction of the Ministers that they be not offended with the tumultes of the seditious commons as at anye straunge and rare thing nor leaue not their duetie vndone for feare of them But rather they must consider that the Church in thys worlde is as it were a Barke or vessell tossed to and fro with wynde and tyde whose Pylate Christ seemeth sometime to be on sleepe as the storie of the gospell declareth Math. 4. Let them also remember that it can not scarcely be chosen but seditions must be bycause there are euerye where so many which can not brooke the doctrine of the gospell for that it maketh eyther agaynst their gaine dignitie or licentious lyuing And our sauyour Christ prophecied
an angel hath appeaâ—ed to him let vs not stryue agaynst god And when there arose great deâ—bate the Captaine fearyng lest Paule should haue bene plucked asunder of them commaunded the souldiers to go downe and to take him from among them and to bring him into the Castle GOd vseth to exercise his chosen with diuers and greeuous tribulations but agayne he deliuereth them diuers and many times by meanes vnlooked for of both which we haue examples in euerye place But among them all this is very notable which the holy ghost setteth forth by Luke in Paule the chosen vessell of christ For we haue hearde howe he was many wayes layde wayte for by the Iewes and was many times in daunger of his life But God oftentimes raised vp new helpes which for the moste part were suche as Paule once thought not of muche lesse coulde haue wished for or requyred For fyrste he was deliuered out of the furiouse Iewes handes by the Captayne and his Souldiers Shortlye after where he woulde haue pleated his cause he was defended from scourging by priuiledge of the freedome of Rome at length when the Captaine had committed both his matter and life vnto most wicked Iudges God sendeth such a diuision among his enemies that they which not long before wished his death pronounced him innocent These things ought to comfort vs that we through cowardly feare giue not ouer in time of temptation For they confirme the promisses of God wherby he euery where promiseth to be the reuenger of his people But where in this presente place there are many other things also very worthy to be considered it shall bee profitable to examine all the circumstances of the matter which is here rehearsed Fyrst and formost it behoueth throughly to consyder the cause of the dissention which Luke saith was the diuersitie of sectes among the Iewes for some of his aduersaries were Phariseis and some Saduceis And as touching the sectes of the Iewes there are many thinges written in Iosephus which referreth their beginning vnto the time of the Machabees And in deede the approuedst authors testifie that they began vnder Iohannes Hircanus the first for when the Priestes applied them selues more to beare rule than to care for religion diuers opinions began to spring about religion by reason the doctrine of Gods worde ceased which God had appoynted to be still among his people Therfore three sectes sprong vp which deuided the vnitie of the Church and people of god The fyrst was that of the Phariseis who not contented with the lawe folowed traditions and beleued that righteousnes and saluation might be atteyned by workes besides being giuen to the study of Astrologie they taught fatall destenie not much differing in this point from the Stoikes And these men being cloked with the outwarde couering of workes were taken for the most holy of all other The second was the Saduceis who denying that men were subiect vnto destenie attributed freewill vnto them and although they seemed earnestly to commende the studie of vertue yet opened they the windowe vnto Epicure and vnto all kynde of licentious liuing For they denied the Angels and immortalitie of the soule and the resurrection of the body This sect of all other was in most aucthoritie bicause it gaue more libertie than the sharpe traditions of the Phariseis and therfore was very acceptable vnto many Of the thirde sect were the Esseni who perceyuing that the Phariseis and Saduceis measured or weighed vertue but by wordes only and would not them selues expresse the same in their deedes liued a single life would haue no seruantes had their goods common gat their liuing with the labour of their hands and would not come at publique seruice for feare of polluting them selues with other mens companie And bicause these men were fewe in number and sought not to be in office and aucthoritie they got them to dwell in pleasaunt places set with Balsamum where they planted gardens and studied Phisicke wherby bicause they dyd men good they gat great commendation of vertue among all men These mens vsages the Anabaptistes in our dayes doe greatlye resemble sauyng that they more disturbe common weales and fulfill their profession lesse sincerelye bicause they runne headlong into all kynde of beastlinesse and are miserablye vexed and tossed with the perturbations of enuie and hatred Yet bicause thys rule of the Essenes was somewhat austere and vnpleasant it had therefore as we saide the fewer that followed it This is the cause that the wryters of the Gospell make mention onely but of the two first sectes Wee haue to obserue what euill the couetousnesse of Bishoppes and idlenesse that springeth thereof vseth to breede seeing these euilles so defourmed the primitiue Churche For the orders of Monkes in Papistrie bredde of the like beginning abundantly teache vs that this is alwayes the effecte of those vices For the which cause we haue the more neede to take heede in these dayes that the like or worsse happen not againe Also the goodnesse of God is to bee magnified which in so foule a scatterment of his flocke hathe yet reserued some remnauntes in his Churche whereby the same at lengthe might be renewed againe as we see came to passe in the Papacie where the Monkes in euery place ruled the roste For at all times and in all places there haue bene found which durst openly inuey against their hipocrisie and dissimulation to say nothing of those which haue lien lurking in their houses haue thought it great wickednesse to be pertakers of their superstitiousnesse Heere in this place hast thou what to answer the aduersaries which aske if there were no Churche before Luther and Zwinglius dayes Yes wee knowe there was a Churche but the same almoste ouerwhelmed and buryed suche an one as we read was before Christes time among the Iewes and suche an one as was in the dayes of Helias when God saide there were seuen thousand left which had neuer bowed the knee vnto Baal although Helias knewe not one of them Furthermore as concerning this present Historie wee are taught that although the wicked bee diuersly deuided bothe in manners and religion yet they will easily agree togither againste Christe and the truthe For where they all fighte vnder one Prince which is the Deuill they cannot chuse but all take him for their ennimie which specially assaulteth his kingdome Woulde God that they woulde diligently consider these things which seeke their cheefe praise and glory by dissentions and debates which they practise against the Ministers of Christ taking theyr naughtie affections vnto Counsell For heereby they encourage the wicked ennimies of Christe which thinke it an easie matter to vanquishe them whome they see contend so bitterly among themselues But hereof we shall haue more commoditie to speake else where Nowe lette vs see Paule who perceiuing his bande of aduersaries to consist of so diuers sectes deuiseth a way by and by howe to set them